Diesel fuel prices for the week ending Monday, March 19, declined for the first time after six straight weekly increases, the U.S. Department of Energy reported. The U.S. average dropped less than a half-cent to $2.681, but was still a dime more expensive than the same week one year ago.
Every region saw a price decrease except the Rocky Mountain, West Coast and Central Atlantic regions; the Rockies saw a surge of nearly 3 cents, while the West Coast experienced a much smaller increase, 2/10s of a penny. The Central Atlantic was unchanged at $2.719.
Those same regions also recorded last week’s highest diesel prices; the West Coast averaged $2.813 and the Rockies averaged $2.765. The nation’s lowest prices were in the Lower Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions, recording averages of $2.631 and $2.64, respectively.
Truckers in California continue to pay the nation’s highest prices for diesel, shelling out an average of $2.875 per gallon. However, that price was more than two cents cheaper than last week’s wallet-emptying $2.899.
For state-by-state diesel prices, updated daily, click here.
