After rising to another all-time high of $6.53 per gallon during the week ending Sept. 21, the U.S.’ national average diesel price fell 14.7 cents during the most recent week ending Sept. 28 to $6.38/gallon.
Despite the decline, the weekly average is still the second highest ever recorded, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.
After the big run-up in prices of late, diesel’s national average sits $2.63 higher than the same week a year ago and $2.84 higher than two years ago.
During the most recent week, prices declined in all regions except the Rockies, which saw a 6.7-cent increase. The largest decline during the week was seen in the Gulf Coast region, where prices fell 22.2 cents/gal.
California as usual holds the nation’s most expensive diesel at a whopping $8.18/gal., followed by the West Coast less California at $6.64/gal.
The cheapest diesel is in the Lower Atlantic region at $5.95, followed by the Gulf Coast region at $5.96.
Prices in other regions, according to EIA:
- New England -- $6.51
- Central Atlantic -- $6.53
- Midwest -- $6.53
- Rocky Mountain -- $6.41
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Spot rates settle into seasonal patterns
Diesel fell over the last week, yet total broker-posted spot rates increased by a penny during the same week, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence and Truckstop.com.
Dry van and flatbed both saw spot-rate increases last week, while reefer rates slid as expected.
Dry van spot rates increased 4.5 cents after declining by about 3 cents during the prior week, and now sit about 46% higher than the same week a year ago.
Flatbed spot rates increased slightly less than 1 cent after a gain of more than 5 cents the week before, sitting 42% higher than a year ago.
Reefer rates have seen a big slide over the last two weeks, falling more than 6 cents during the week ending Sept. 18 and another 7.3 cents during the most recent week. Even with those declines, reefer rates remain 47% higher than a year ago.
DAT Freight & Analytics noted that all-in rates rose across the board during the week, but fuel accounted for the entire increase for dry van and more than the entire increase for refrigerated and flatbed, whose linehaul rates fell.
All-in rates (linehaul plus fuel surcharge) on the DAT system for dry van rose 5 cents to $3.01/mile; reefer up 4 cents to $3.63/mile; and flatbed jumped 5 cents to $3.60/mile.
“The national average price of diesel rose 31.8 cents a gallon, which added about 5 cents a mile to the average dry van fuel surcharge, 6 cents to reefer, and 6 cents to flatbed,” said DAT analyst Dean Croke. “The average van linehaul rate held at $2.17 compared to the previous week, while reefer and flatbed eased. Each all-in price gain came from fuel.”
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