Diesel prices decline for first time in four weeks, EIA reports

The average price per gallon of diesel gasoline saw a decrease for the first time in four weeks, according to data issued by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) said this week.

With a 0.3 cent drop to $2.478 per gallon, this follows three straight weeks of increases for a cumulative gain of 9.9 cents. And those three weeks of gains were preceded by three weeks of declines of 1 cent, 0.8 cents, and 0.2 cents, respectively, based on EIA data.

On an annual basis, this week’s average price is down 2 cents.

West Texas Intermediate Crude finished at  $50.52 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange yesterday.

A recent Wall Street Journal report observed that the oil market has been largely focused on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ tentative plan to cut production, which it described as a deal that could help reduce the global supply glut and bring the market more into balance. The report added that even as analysts have expressed skepticism that OPEC members could reach a final agreement—or be able to enforce it after their November meeting—some traders are pointing to the surprising drawdown in U.S. inventory as another reason why crude prices could continue to climb.

Shippers are vigilant in keeping a watchful eye on fuel prices, due to the fact that in most modes they’re paying a fairly high percentage in terms of their average fuel surcharge above standard base rates. That was made clear in the findings of a recent Logistics Management (LM) readership study of more than 200 buyers of freight transportation and logistics services.

According to the survey, 5.5% of respondents noted that average fuel surcharges were more than 20% above base rates, with 11.4% noting that they were 16% to 20% higher.

And 17.9% and 24.9% of shippers said they were in the 11% to 15% and 6% to 10% ranges, respectively, with 28.4% stating that their average fuel surcharges were 5% or less above base rates.