Gasoline prices might be grabbing most of the attention when it comes to fuel prices, but truckers and farms in Oklahoma and across the U.S. are feeling an even bigger pinch.
The national average of $5.57 a gallon is its highest on record, two cents higher in the past week and 53 cents more in the past month. A year ago, the U.S. average for diesel fuel was $3.17 a gallon.
Oklahoma’s average diesel fuel price is $5.20. Prices in the state dropped a few cents over the past week when it was $5.27 a gallon. Still, prices are higher than the $2.94 average recorded in the state one year ago.
Diesel is also used in the country’s rail industry. Reports indicate that about 75% of all commercial vehicles registered in the U.S. are powered by diesel.
The impact on farmers and truckers amounts to hundreds of dollars difference when it comes to refueling, whether it’s an 18-wheeler on the long haul or a tractor in the field. In turn, that means it adds to inflation and to costs for consumers, whether it’s wheat in the grain bin or food products carried across the nation.
With the U.S. inflation rate running 8.3% more than last year, diesel costs are likely to remain high for months to come. Diesel is considered a vital fuel source for the country’s transportation infrastructure and as long as prices continue to climb, prices for products will likely do the same.
Consider these cost comparisons. The average price paid by truckers in California this week is $6.58 a gallon while in New York, it is $6.54.
Prices average $5.15 a gallon in western Oklahoma along Interstate 40 while in the eastern part of the state next to the state line, the average is $5.33. The average in Oklahoma City is $5.18, compared to $2.89 paid a year ago.
Truckers who need to refuel in Tulsa along I-44 will pay $5.19 a gallon, far more than the $2.97 they paid last year at this time.
There isn’t much relief in the region as well. Prices in Kansas average $5.23 while in Colorado they average $5.36. New Mexico’s average along I-40 is $5.41. In Texas it is $5.21 while Arkansas sits at $5.26 and Missouri’s average is $5.18.