For ninth week running, U.S. diesel prices drop

The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel across the U.S. dropped to $2.814 per gallon, according to a Monday, March 9, report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

This is the ninth week of consecutive decreases. Weekly average diesel fuel prices for the U.S. have been dropping since Jan. 6.

In related news, although oil prices have been steadily going downward, oil prices experienced an out-of-control downward spiral on Monday after Saudi Arabia essentially declared a price war over the weekend, causing a nearly record-breaking drop in oil prices. Look for diesel fuel prices to continue to drop, says one analyst.

Land Line Staff Writer Tyson Fisher has the story here.

Decreases were reported for all regions, ranging from 2.3 cents in California and the Rocky Mountain region to 5 cents in the Gulf Coast region.

A year ago, the average U.S. price was 26.5 cents higher.

Average U.S. price for a gallon of diesel as reported by the EIA:

• U.S. – $2.814, down 3.7 cents.
• East Coast – $2.86, down 3.8 cents.
• New England – $2.99, down 3.3 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.045, down 3.6 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.709, down 3.9 cents.
• Midwest – $2.689, down 3.6 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.577, down 5 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.803, down 2.3 cents.
• West Coast – 3.399, down 2.5 cents.
• West Coast without California – $3.026, down 2.8 cents.
• California – $3.705, down 2.3 cents.

ProMiles.com reports the average price for diesel fuel in the U.S. dropped just under 4 cents to $2.714 per gallon on Monday, March 9.

ProMiles, the software company that maintains the websites ProMiles.com and TruckMiles.com, offers its own weekly fuel price information. The company’s fuel price data are presented in the same format used by the EIA in the agency’s weekly reports. The prices include a national average as well as regional averages, and comparisons to the previous week and the previous year.

A key difference between the EIA and ProMiles reporting is the type and number of fueling stations the company surveys in order to calculate its averages. While EIA surveys 400 truck stops and convenience stores nationwide, ProMiles uses its direct feed from thousands of truck stops to develop its averages.

Regional drops were focused in a tight range, from 3.2 cents in the Rocky Mountain region to 4.7 cents in the New England region.

Here are the average U.S. prices for a gallon of diesel reported for each region by ProMiles.com:

• U.S. – $2.714, down 3.9 cents.
• East Coast – $2.807, down 4.1 cents.
• New England – $2.978, 4.7 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.008, down 3.8 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.67, down 4.3 cents.
• Midwest – $2.668, down 3.8 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.576, down 3.6 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.759, down 3.2 cents.
• West Coast – $3.196, down 4.4 cents.
• West Coast less California – $2.96, down 3.9 cents.
• California – $3.565, down 4.1 cents.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported the retail average U.S. price per gallon of diesel fuel at $2.814 for Monday, March 9.

A week previous the average retail U.S. price for a gallon of diesel fuel was $2.848 per gallon.

A month previous, AAA reported $2911 per gallon of diesel, and a year ago $3.004 per gallon.

The highest recorded retail average U.S. diesel fuel price was $4.845 per gallon on July 17, 2008, according to AAA.