Monday October 16 5:14 PM ET Retail Gasoline Price Rise, Diesel Hits Record

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail gasoline prices increased for first time in three weeks, while diesel prices hit a new record high, the U.S. Energy Department reported on Monday.

The pump price for gasoline increased 3.7 cents a gallon over the last week to $1.539, based on the Department's national survey of 800 service stations.

Motorists on the West Coast paid the most for gasoline, with prices in the region averaging $1.761 a gallon, down 1.1 cents. Gulf Coast states paid the least for gasoline, up 2.1 cents to $1.442 a gallon.

The price for diesel fuel jumped 5.6 cents to a record $1.67 a gallon, reversing two straight weekly declines in diesel costs.

Truckers on the West Coast had the highest diesel prices, up 2.8 cents a gallon to $1.871, and the lower Atlantic states had the cheapest fuel at $1.61, up 5 cents.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20001016/ts/gasoline_price_dc_1.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 16, 2000

Answers

I am startled that this big run up in diesel prices hasn't put more small, independent truckers out of business yet.

-- R2D2 (r2d2@earthend.net), October 16, 2000.

For those small trucking firms that can't pass on the hike in prices, they are going belly up or selling out. It just doesn't make the news because they are small.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@altavista.com), October 17, 2000.