Diesel costs continue to climb
Unrelenting economic turmoil in oil-rich Venezuela and the question of war still looming large over oil-soaked Iraq continue to pump up the prices of on-highway diesel in the United States.
From Jan. 20-27 nationwide, diesel rose an average of 1.2 cents to $1.492 a gallon, which is 34.8 cents higher than the same time last year.
California again showed the week's biggest individual boost, 2.7 cents, pushing it to $1.598 a gallon, or 33.9 cents more than a year earlier. However, California couldn't claim the distinction of having the highest cost. That dubious honor went to the Central Atlantic region, where diesel went for $1.6 a gallon. That's a week's increase of 2.1 cents and 34.7 cents higher than the previous year.
On the East Coast, diesel was costing drivers 35 cents a gallon more than in 2002 after an increase of 1.6 cents propelled the price to $1.526.
The West Coast reported the week's fourth highest increase, 1.5 cents, to put the price there at $1.543, or 32.9 cents more than 12 months earlier.
The New England and Lower Atlantic regions reported identical weekly increases, 1.4 cents a gallon. Still, truckers in New England were paying $1.608, which was the second highest in the country. It was also 31.5 cents more than in 2002. The average price in the Lower Atlantic rose to $1.483, which was 35.5 cents higher than for the previous year.
The next highest jump for the week was 1.3 cents in the Midwest, where the average cost per gallon was $1.472, higher by 35.3 cents than for the same week in 2002. Gulf Coast drivers paid an average of $1.463 a gallon, a bump of only nine-tenths of a cent for the week. Still, the total cost there was, on average, 35.3 cents more than a year earlier.
Diesel was at its cheapest in the Rocky Mountain region, where it sold for $1.454. That's also a weekly increase of only nine-tenths of a cent, but still 33.2 cents higher than the previous year.
-- By Jerry Breeden Trucker Staff January 31, 2003