U.S. diesel price falls again

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The national average retail price of a gallon of diesel fell for the second consecutive week, declining 0.9 cents to $3.955 for the week ending Monday, April 7. The diesel price had set record highs for five weeks prior to declining Monday, March 31.

Still, the price — which had climbed 70.9 cents in six weeks prior to last week’s decline — is $1.115 higher than the same week last year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The average price has been above $3 for 29 consecutive weeks.

All regions tracked by DOE saw prices declines except for the Rocky Mountain region, where prices climbed 0.2 cent to $3.974; and the West Coast, where prices rose 0.3 cent to $4.052.

The biggest price decrease, 1.8 cents, was in the Central Atlantic region, where the price fell to $4.142, still the nation’s most expensive diesel. The smallest decrease, 0.5 cent, was in the Lower Atlantic region, where the price declined to $3.936.

The nation’s least expensive diesel by region, $3.894, was in the Gulf Coast region, where week-over-week prices fell 1.3 cents. For state-by-state diesel prices, updated daily, click here.

The four House members from Arkansas on Thursday, April 3, called for congressional hearings into the high cost of diesel fuel that is harming top trucking firms in the state. The written request to top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee was made by 1st District Rep. Marion Berry, D-Gillett; 2nd District Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock; 3rd District Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers; and 4th District Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott.

Scattered, loosely organized protests by owner-operators against climbing diesel prices continued last week and over the weekend.