The national average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel rose modestly this week, according to the US Energy Information Administration's weekly survey, continuing an upward trend even as the pace of the increase slowed. The average price climbed three and a half cents, moving from $5.313 to $5.348 per gallon.
The national figure masked sharp regional divergence. The East Coast region posted a decline of about a nickel and a half, falling from $5.354 to $5.299 per gallon. The Lower Atlantic region saw the largest drop of any region, falling more than eight cents to $5.168 per gallon. The Rocky Mountain region moved in the opposite direction, jumping more than 14 cents to $5.285 per gallon, the steepest regional increase of the week.
Analysts tied part of the broader price pressure to geopolitical developments affecting global oil flows. Reports indicate Iran and Oman are negotiating terms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, with a proposed arrangement that would route vessels through an Iranian-controlled channel on entry and an Omani-controlled route on exit. Any resolution would likely hinge on the United States lifting its blockade on Iranian ports, a step the current administration has so far ruled out.
For fleets, diesel remains one of the largest controllable and uncontrollable cost lines on the balance sheet. Continued price volatility at the regional level means carriers running lanes through the Rocky Mountain corridor face different fuel cost pressure than those operating along the Eastern Seaboard, even in the same week.
Source: TheTrucker.com - https://www.thetrucker.com/trucking-news/business/diesel-prices-rise-modestly-this-week