The U.S. average price for diesel fuel continued its slow but steady decline for the sixth week in a row, falling 3.5 cents to $4.247 per gallon, and diesel now sits more than $1 less than a year ago, according to new U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.
Motor club AAA saw almost the same decline in trucking's main fuel for the week of March 13, reporting that its U.S. average dropped 3.7 cents to $4.339 per gallon.
According to EIA, diesel has not risen since the week of Jan. 30 and is down 37.5 cents per gallon since then.
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Gasoline, meanwhile, headed in the other direction for the week of March 13, according to the latest EIA data. Gas, a consumer favorite and pumped by many commercial fleets, especially work truckers, rose 6.7 cents nationally to $3.456 per gallon for the week, though gas is 85.9 cents a gallon below its level of a year ago and 79 cents cheaper than diesel this week.
Lower oil prices appear to be forming the backbone of sustained price declines for the fuels refined from it, though other factors like refining and supply play a part. But Brent crude was down below $80 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude was nearing $70 on the morning of March 14.
