Diesel prices continued to gain traction this week, rising nearly a cent to a national average of $2.928 a gallon
, according to weekly figures released by the U.S. Department of Energy. This is its second straight boost.
Last week, diesel prices were up 2 cents. Prior to the increases, diesel had fallen 6.2 cents over one-month period. This week's average is 37.8 cents higher than the same week last year.
The West Coast and Central Atlantic regions topped the list with the highest averages, at $3.071 and $3.02 a gallon, respectively. The Gulf Coast and Lower Atlantic had the lowest prices in the nation, averaging $2.887 and $2.89 a gallon, respectively.
Meanwhile, crude oil broke $80 a barrel Monday on strong hopes for the economy and manufacturing sector results, according to reports by Dow Jones. Crude settled at $81.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the first rise above $80 a barrel since May.
The boost in oil was driven partly by the release of the Institute for Supply Management's July index of manufacturing activity, which was down to a reading of 55.5, compared to 56.2 in June. While the index was down from June, activity was higher than expected, according to reports by Bloomberg. Any reading above 50 indicates growth in the sector.
