The average price of a gallon of diesel fuel nationwide increased for the ninth time in 10 weeks, rising 0.4 cent to $3.078 a gallon, according to US Department of Energy information.
The fourth straight advance left trucking’s main fuel 32.2 cents higher than when the recent increases began in mid-February and 87.7 cents over the same week in 2009.
But the most recent gain was the smallest of the nine; along with the previous week’s half-cent gain it was the only upturn of less than a penny.
Most regions reported small increases, while the East Coast, and California reported slight declines. The Rocky Mountain price rose 2.8 cents to $3.137. Prices ranged from $3.025 in the Lower Atlantic to $3.227 in California.