Diesel fuel prices are starting to make a run again this week up a dime to its highest level in almost six months — a national average price of $3.987 a gallon, the Department of Energy said Monday.
Gas prices, meanwhile, rose for the first time in four weeks, gaining 1.2 cents to $3.436 a gallon, DOE said.
The diesel fuel prices jump — its biggest since a 10.2-cent leap on April 11 — left fleet fueling at its highest level since May 23. Turning companies fleet managers to look for other fuel savings.
Diesel fuel, which took its first dip in a month last week with a half-cent decline, we are almost paying a dollar more for fleet fuel now than we did a year ago.
The diesel fuel prices average now tops $4 a gallon in two of five DOE regions, the West Coast and Rocky Mountains, while it also tops that level in the East Coast’s New England and Mid-Atlantic sub-regions. This trend will continue to hit your fuel cards and fuel savings. The next several months look to be rocky when it comes to diesel fuel prices, the best way to ensure fuel savings as a fleet manager is taking a look at your fuel management.
California, which DOE breaks out separately but is included in the West Coast figures, posted the highest price, at $4.27 per gallon.
Oil prices, the main driver of end fuel prices, have jumped in the past three weeks, from the mid-$80s per barrel in mid-October to the high-$90s this month.
Crude futures finished the trading week Friday at $98.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest closing price since July, Bloomberg reported.
Oil fell 85 cents Monday to finish at $98.14 per-barrel on the Nymex, Bloomberg said
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