Motor fuel prices are an important cost component of highway
transportation. Changes in motor fuel prices impact the behavior of both
producers and consumers, and affect the demand for transportation in terms of
level and modal mix. In the United States, motor gasoline prices follow world
crude oil prices more closely than motor diesel prices. Changes in motor fuel
prices affect the profit margin of transportation firms, particularly
trucking firms.
Retail
On-Highway Diesel Prices
25-Jul-05
1-Aug-05
Retail on-highway diesel
prices (dollars per gallon)
2.34
2.35
Percent change from
previous week
-2.09
0.26
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information
Administration, Weekly On-Highway Diesel Prices, available at
http://eia.doe.gov/, as of August 1, 2005.
