New Look And Travel Features Coming To TurnpikeInfo.com

TurnpikeInfo.com new home page
The new home page of TurnpikeInfo.com features a touch-slider that will enable you to search popular toll roads from any device, using either a mouse or the swipe of your finger! Click the image to enlarge it.

After six weeks of experimentation, I am pleased to announce the design of a new home page for TurnpikeInfo.com has been largely completed. While there are some minor adjustments to be made, the new home of TurnpikeInfo.com can be officially unveiled. The home page redesign is part of a larger website upgrade that is continuing through the summer of 2014.

That redesign includes streamlining navigation, adding new travel features, adding several new roads, including bridges and tunnels that charge tolls, as well as rolling out a fully responsive website design. What that means is the information you will be able to get on the desktop will be the same on a tablet and a smart phone. Until now, the desktop website and the mobile website were separate entities, which essentially has forced us to pick what kind of material is delivered to our mobile users, and I have never really liked the fact they seem to have been short-changed on the information we offer.

Responsive design

New lodging search
Our new lodging channel will not only provide options to search hotels, you will be able to reserve a room, thanks to a reservations engine provided by our partners at Priceline.>

In May, we quietly unveiled our new lodging channel, which works with a booking engine hosted by our partners at Priceline. The lodging feature is already active, as any of you searching tolls will already have noticed. When you get toll results, there is a lodging icon that is displayed whenever there are hotels or motels that can be reserved near your destination city. The data are provided directly by Priceline, as is the reservations system, which means your reservations are safe and guaranteed. As we refine the site further, there will be options to search for hotels and motels adjacent to specific exits, so you will be able to actually plan your travel more efficiently with TurnpikeInfo.com.

As we go through July, the current site will be completely replaced with the new design, and the new features we are developing will continue to be added through August. As that happens, you will see many pages change location, but there will be automatic forwards built in so you will always easily find the information you are seeking. In fact, the new design and structure of the site is meant to be super easy to navigate, with no-nonsense icons that are either identical to or closely resemble those you would see on the highway.

This is an exciting time for TurnpikeInfo.com, and I am so glad to be able to count you among the site’s visitors and users!

UPDATE ON NOVEMBER 4, 2014: After two delays due to the complexities of migrating to a new system, in addition to the fact I run two businesses and am media developer for a third, I can confidently state we will have our new site online by the Thanksgiving holiday. I apologize for the delays, but believe me, the new and upgraded site, which will include new toll roads, will have been worth your wait.

Thank you, again, for your patience and your support!

Gas Prices Give Back Gains; Diesel Prices Take A Summer Dip

Last Week’s Gas Price Increase Erased As East Coast Enjoys A Summer Break In Price Hikes Weekly gas price trend for June 9, 2014

The price of gas reversed course during the past week as the 2¢ gains that were reported in the June 2 government fuel price survey were wiped out this week. The pricing news is journaled in the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This week’s E.I.A. report shows the price of gas did a precise about-face, at least on a national level, while prices declined more so in many regions.

The Rocky Mountain States and the broader West Coast region, which does not include California, were the only survey areas where prices stagnated. At the national level, the price of gas now averages about $3.67 for a gallon of regular unleaded, exactly where it was two weeks ago. The biggest price declines were found along the East Coast, particularly in the Lower Atlantic States, where prices were down over two cents, on average, from last week. Along the Gulf Coast and in the Midwest, prices were also off by about two pennies, but for the Midwest, as usual, the average price data are distorted by substantial swings in fuel costs in certain states. For instance, in Ohio, which has endured substantial price volatility, the average gallon of gas costs 12¢ less this week.

At the city level, the numbers are even more telling. For Cleveland, the price of gas dropped about 12¢, much like its home state of Ohio, but two states over, in Illinois, the price of gas in Chicago only fell about 4¢ per gallon.

Truckers Catch A Break As Diesel Drives Below $3.90

Truckers enjoying lower diesel prices
Diesel prices are at a five-month low after the national average fell below $3.90 per gallon this week.

For the first time since January, the national average price of diesel fuel dropped below $3.90 per gallon, according to this week’s E.I.A. report. The price of diesel slipped downward by almost 3¢ per gallon during the past week, officially settling at $3.89. That price point is the best figure truckers and other diesel drivers have seen since the end of January, when prices began a continue climb to well over $4.00 per gallon.

While this week’s news is good for truckers, prices in New England, the Central Atlantic region and in California remain well above $4.00 per gallon. Only the drivers in the Gulf Coast states are enjoying relatively low diesel prices, as the average from Alabama through Louisiana is now about $3.77 per gallon.

Uncertainty Looms As Crude Oil Futures Soar Once More

While this week’s gas price survey is the best report from the EIA in about a month, the news is not likely to persist in drivers’ favor. The reason is the all-important crude oil futures index, West Texas Intermediate, which has been trading in record territory in this year. In fact, after-hours trades on Monday, June 9, were the their highest level of the year, and the highest level seen in three years. Investors trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange had bid the WTI up to about $104.50 per barrel as of 8:30 p.m. Monday night. That would place the futures index, at least on the NYMEX, within range of its three-year high, a portent of what could face consumers at the retail level come July.

Bloomberg News is citing a number of factors for the increase in the futures price, including tightening supplies of crude oil in the United States, which is the world’s largest oil market. Other factors included speculation in the wake of last week’s favorable unemployment report, which leads investors to believe more people will be on the road for business and pleasure in the coming weeks.  The likelihood of increased demand during the summer travel season, coupled with renewed demand from China, has investors eyeballing the possibility of tighter supplies amid increased consumer need.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported renewed unrest in Libya, where political discord during the past three years has severely disrupted production. Output is being reported at only about 180,000 barrels of oil per day, compared with about 1.3-million per day one year ago.

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Gas Prices Nudge Upward As Midwest Leads National Average

Price Breaks End With Start Of June And Summer Driving Season Weekly gas price trend for June 2, 2014

The cost of a gallon of gasoline slipped upward about two cents per gallon during the past week, according to the latest weekly survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.69, as retail gas prices gave up a three-week respite and continued what has been a steady series of increases since the second week of February. Although prices did take a breather at the beginning of May, falling two consecutive weeks, those price declines were caused largely by significant price volatility in the Midwest, where the cost of fuel rises and falls in major swings from week to week.

Midwest Drivers Endure Shocking Rise In Gas Prices

In fact, it is the Midwest’s almost notorious volatility that has contributed to this week’s U.S. average price hike, with Ohio leading way. Drivers in the Buckeye State suffered a 6¢ per gallon leap in gas prices. At the local level, prices in Cleveland hopped up about 10¢ per gallon. In Chicago, prices jumped a heart-stopping 14¢ to push their way past the $4.00 threshold. In fact, prices in Chicago average $4.06 per gallon, although that is not the highest rate in the nation. Los Angeles is among the cities that shares the dubious distinction of gas prices over the 4-dollar mark, with the average driver in the city of angels paying about $4.18 per gallon.

Chicago aerial view of skyline and the loop
Drivers in Chicago suffered a 14¢ hike in the average price of gas, as unleaded hit $4.06 per gallon.

Region to region, the price of gas is spinning on an axis of uncertainty, with the cost of driving holding steady across a large swatch of the Eastern seaboard. The cost of fuel in New England remains around $3.73 per gallon this week, and prices across the Mid-Atlantic region held steady at $3.70.

In the Lower Atlantic, the cost of gas dipped by about 2¢. However, prices in the Rocky Mountain states and along the Gulf Coast were facing pressure to begin a fresh round of cost increases; on the West Coast, most drivers are paying about two-cents more this week than they were last week.

Crude Oil Prices Remain Above $100 Per Barrel

The increase in gas prices comes on the heels of renewed increase in the crude oil futures prices. Prices in early May declined slightly as West Texas Intermediate began to fall below $100 per barrel, but the bid on futures contracts quickly reversed. WTI peaked May 23 at $104.39.

After-hours WTI prices were trading at $102.54 Monday night, and Bloomberg News was reporting earlier in the day that traders are watching inventories closely before making any buying or selling decisions. In fact, trading volume was about 60 percent below the 100-day trading average, meaning investors are waiting on the sidelines for new inventory and refinery stock reports. The EIA issues such reports on a weekly basis.

Truckers’ Diesel Prices Holding Steady For Now

Meanwhile, the cost of operating a tractor-trailer rig, at least where fuel is concerned, remained nearly the same this week. Prices have been slipping down in tiny fractions for the past several weeks, and the national average of a gallon of diesel is now about $3.92. That is down about 10¢ per gallon since prices peaked on February 24.

However, there are plenty of areas where the cost of diesel is still well above $4.00 per gallon, including California, New England and the Central Atlantic regions. On the East Coast, truckers from Maryland to Maine were paying an average of $4.12 per gallon, while the price in California was about $4.10.

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Gas Prices Mixed As Summer Driving Approaches

Editor's note: The writer of the weekly gas updates, Danny Pryor, is currently traveling with an Internet and domain conference in Las Vegas. Therefore, this week's report will be greatly abbreviated. Normal reporting will resume next week.

Fuel Prices Only Slightly Higher On A National Basis, But Some Regions Enjoy Slight Price Decline

Gas price trend for the week of May 26, 2014The cost of driving was pretty much the same this week as last, according to the latest fuel price survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The cost of a gallon of gas held steady at $3.67 per gallon, but the price of fuel did increase several cents per gallon, particularly in Midwest, where price volatility is common.

For drivers in individual states, the weekly report conveyed good news or exceptionally bad news. In California, long beset by prices well above the $4.00 per gallon mark, this week marked another of price declines. The cost of a gas slipped downward by over 2¢ per gallon, bringing the average price of fuel in the Golden State down to about $4.16.

Halfway across the country, in Ohio, the average gas price jumped by 11¢ per gallon, all but erasing a substantial price decline that was enjoyed in the Buckeye State earlier this month. It was Ohio that largely contributed to the Midwest region’s average price increases. Region by region, the price of gas varies considerably, as it usually does.

Gulf states are currently enjoying the lowest average price of gas, while the West Coast remains the most expensive place to fill up the tank. The following breakdown represents the current weekly survey of gas prices in the United States, by region: East Coast: $3.66 New England: $3.73 Central Atlantic: $3.71 Lower Atlantic: $3.60 Gulf Coast: $3.44 Midwest: $3.65 Rocky Mountain: $3.50 West Coast: $4.00

Turnpike Exit To I-4 In Orlando Closed Overnight To May 23

Ramp Closures To Impact Drivers Through The Week

An ongoing project to revamp the interchange of Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 4 will result in renewed offramp closures for drivers trying to get to I-4 from Florida’s Turnpike, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Transportation. The roadway closures are similar to those instituted from April 27 through May 2.

Only drivers trying to exit the turnpike at I-4 are affected, as are truckers who wish to use the tandem parking lot that is in the middle of the interchange. The ramp closures do not affect drivers who want to get onto the Turnpike.

The ramps from Exit 259 in Orlando are closed only during the overnight hours, and the closures affect both northbound and southbound travelers exiting Florida’s Turnpike, according to the latest FDOT release. Christina Deason, spokesman for the FDOT, said, “All exiting traffic [will be] detoured to Exit 255, Consulate Drive, for SunPass customers or Exit 254, Orlando South/US 17 92/441, for cash customers.” Cash customers will be detoured along the westbound leg of the Beachline Expressway, State Road 528, in order to reach I-4, she said.

Truckers Tandem Access Affected

Construction closures and detours for I-4 and Florida's Turnpike
The trucker lot that was affected in April will be impacted once more. Click to get full list of detours in a PDF.

Truckers will be affected by the closure of the tandem lot on the nights of May 20 and 21. Deason said the lot will remain open until 1 a.m.; then it will close until 5 a.m. “During active ramp closures, tandems will not be able to exit the Turnpike to access the lot,” Deason said in the news release. “No left-in [or] left-out, to and from the staging area will be possible.”

Single trailers will be permitted on the lot during the closure hours, Deason said, but the access to the turnpike from the lot will be intermittently impacted between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Images of the detours were provided by the FDOT and may be viewed in portable document format.

Gas Prices Take Another Breather, Falling For Second Consecutive Week

California Drivers Get Big Break, But Ohio Gives Back A Large Part Of Last Week’s Price Drop

Gas price trend for week of May 12, 2014
Gas price trend for week of May 12, 2014

The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas dropped almost two cents during the past week, according the latest weekly survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The price of gas settled at $3.67, which is down from 2014’s high of $3.71, a dubious achievement attained only two weeks ago.

Unlike last week, when favorable volatility pushed Midwestern gas prices down significantly, this week’s gains were lead by moderate declines in the Lower Atlantic, Gulf Coast and West Coast regions. Each district survey area enjoyed a decline of about three cents.

The drop in prices on the West Coast was due largely to a deep decline in prices in California, where the average price of gas fell by more than a nickel per gallon. That relief may be scarcely noticeable, however, for a state where the average price of gas is still about $4.17 per gallon. Drivers in Los Angeles and San Francisco are still paying more than their state’s average. For drivers across the broader West Coast region, the price of fuel remained mostly flat, although prices did nudge upward a penny in Washington State.

This week’s gas price survey provided Midwestern drivers a complete opposite of the story that played out last week. Traditionally a volatile region, gas prices in the Midwest fell almost seven cents per gallon last week, led by a breathtaking 12¢ per gallon decline in prices in Ohio. This week, however, the cost of gas rebounded by 8¢ in the Buckeye State, which helped halt what might have been a broader regional price decline. Because of Ohio and other retail pricing hot spots, the Midwest gas price average did not move, remaining at $3.60 per gallon. However, drivers across Minnesota enjoyed a drop in prices, as did many motorists in Illinois. In fact, the price of gas in Chicago fell by 10¢ per gallon for regular unleaded.

Truckers Enjoy Slight Price Breaks As Diesel Cost Declines Slowly

The mixed news for U.S. drivers did not apply so unequally to truckers. Most of the nation’s haulers are paying somewhat less for diesel fuel over the past couple of weeks, and the declines that began at the end of April have continued, albeit at a slow pace. The average price of a gallon of diesel is now about $3.95, although for many truckers along the East Coast, the price ranges anywhere from $4.04 in New England to $4.16 along the Lower Atlantic states.

The price of gas on Florida's turnpike is well above the average for the Lower Atlantic region.
The price of gas on Florida’s turnpike is well above the average for the Lower Atlantic region.

In urban areas, the price can be significantly higher. For instance, in the Lower Atlantic states, the average price of a gallon of diesel is about $3.92 per gallon. However, the price of diesel was $4.09 at a service plaza on Florida’s Turnpike Sunday. In the inner city, the cost of that same gallon of diesel is as high as $4.25, far in excess of the highest regional average price, according to the EIA survey.

Crude Oil Price Declines Come To Halt Amid Concerns Of Declining Stockpiles In Oklahoma

Although the amount of crude oil being produced across North America continues to grow, the stockpiles of crude at the Cushing, Oklahoma storage facility continued to decline during the past week. Financial analysts interviewed by Bloomberg expected the stockpiles at Cushing to continue to decline, putting upward pressure on the price of West Texas Intermediate crude.

The price of WTI has come down from its recent highs, and the June contract had even been trading just under $100 per barrel last week. However, the price of crude has moved back over $100 per barrel. Bloomberg observed the cost of domestic crude is up about 2.2 percent for 2014, but compared with the trading prices only six months ago, the prices are up almost nine percent since Thanksgiving. That is in line with the overall increase since last year at this time, which is a contributor to the year-over-year gas price increases consumers have experienced.

Annual Price Changes Are Significant, And Not In A Good Way

The annual gas price differential is substantial, given that the EIA had forecast gas prices to fall through much of 2014. The EIA has revised a number of pricing and supply forecasts this year, amid a host of unexpected factors, mostly in overseas markets. Geopolitical instability and fuel supply disruptions overseas first pushed Brent Light Sweet crude significantly higher starting in the late summer of 2013, and by the end of Thanksgiving, Brent was soaring toward $110 per barrel, even while WTI was plunging. Supply problems overseas persist, and the Ukraine crisis has continued to cause instability in overseas markets.

That means what was supposed to be a cheaper summer driving season for Americans is not likely to happen this year. The current average cost of gas is about seven cents higher on a nationwide basis, but that figure is tempered only because of year over year price drops in the Midwest and Rockies, two regions that are notoriously volatile when it comes to pricing. Price declines for those areas are concentrated, at least this week, primarily in Minnesota and Colorado, respectively. For drivers in the state of 10,000 lakes, the cost of a gallon of unleaded is down a stunning 38¢ versus last year, while in Colorado, the cost of fuel is down by about 19¢.

The Colorado trend is exactly the opposite of what most drivers are experiencing, and it is part of the reason the national averages scarcely reveal the true annual gas price increase. For most drivers along the East Coast and down to the Lower Atlantic states, the cost of a gallon of gas is anywhere from 19¢ to 21¢ higher. Even in regions that have enjoyed a price break during the past couple of weeks, such as the Gulf Coast and West Coast, prices are 7¢ and 8¢ higher than last year, respectively.

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Gas Prices Reach Nine Month High On New Surge

Gas Peeks Above $4.00 On West Coast As 2014 Price Hikes Continue April 21, 2014 gas price trend

Not since the July 22, 2013 fuel survey have gas prices been so high; in fact, the current survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows the price of a gallon of regular unleaded is only one-tenth of a penny less than it was nine months ago, when prices were rising amid prospect of U.S. military intervention in Syria’s civil war. Of course, that number is the national average, and some prices at the regional level are much higher than the broader U.S. figure. As it stands, the price of gas is now $3.68 per gallon at the national level.

What is worse, at least one region, the West Coast, now has figures, officially, above $4.00 per gallon for the first time since March of 2013. The news for truckers turned sour during the past week, as well, as the price of diesel also rose about 2¢ per gallon to $3.97. Diesel had been holding stead or declining in most regions of the U.S. in recent weeks, defying the broader consumer price trend.

Futures Prices Fluctuating Wildly, Adding To Gas Price Volatility

Uncertainty in overseas markets, particularly with the persistent Ukraine crisis, have created a certain volatility in the futures markets, including the price of West Texas Intermediate. WTI futures were down about $2.00 per barrel in late morning trading Tuesday, but that was after hitting fresh highs on Monday that pushed the commodity to levels not seen since the beginning of March. At that time, the WTI flirted with $105 per barrel, but the price spikes were transient, only touching upon price levels were last seen during the summer of 2011.

So far, April’s upward run in the WTI index has been more persistent. The price increases in WTI have come despite the fact there has been an increase in crude oil stocks in recent weeks. That increase has had many analysts predicting futures prices would begin to decline. Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, told Bloomberg News this morning that the recent expansion of crude stocks was causing some bearishness in futures markets.

“The market is moving lower on expectations that we’ll get another supply build in tomorrow’s report,” Yawger told Bloomberg. As TurnpikeInfo.com reported last week, Yawger is one of many energy analysts who have expected futures prices to turn lower, which could lead to a decline in gasoline prices once summer gets underway.

Crude Oil Data Only One Factor To Consider In Price Analysis

EIA gasoline supply chart
U.S. gasoline supplies have fallen dramatically in recent weeks, all while consumer demand has been going in exactly the opposite direction. Chart: EIA.gov.

Yawger’s analysis may be inspired, in part, by the fact this is the time of year when crude inventories usually peak. Refineries have been taking on new crude stocks in order to produce more summer fuel blends, but the crude stocks only tell a part of the story.

The latest weekly petroleum report from the EIA shows overall refined gasoline stocks are down in recent weeks, exactly the opposite of the crude oil stocks. In fact, total gasoline stocks are down about 5% from their levels at this time last year, while the demand for gas is up. The EIA’s tracking data show the demand for consumer gasoline is up almost 5% versus this time last year, exactly the opposite of the gasoline stock data.

Furthermore, the anticipated duration of the current supply of refined gasoline and crude oil is  less than it was at this time last year. Finally, the mid-spring is the time when crude oil stocks have traditionally reached their highest levels before falling throughout the summer months, according to the last two-years’ worth of data from the EIA. That means the current spate of stockpile increases could be coming to an end with the arrival of May.

TurnpikeInfo.com Predicts Continued Price Increases During Short Term

Overall, the major factors contributing to gas prices do not portent well for consumers. There remains significant political uncertainty overseas, which has contributed to the price hikes in crude oil, both WTI and Brent Light Sweet Crude.

Add to that the lower overall supply of refined gasoline and higher consumer demand, and the pricing trend is likely to conspire against consumers for the next several weeks. Overall, gas prices are likely to continue rising through the late spring, at least.

Depending on how Europe prepares for a potential fuel supply shortage amid the Ukraine crisis, those fuel price increases could continue into next fall.

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Exits From Florida's Turnpike To Temporarily Close For Construction

I-4 Interchange In Orlando Gets Major Makeover

Drivers Get Big Detour And Truckers Lose Parking Lot

Overnight travel in Orlando will become a little inconvenient at the end of April as construction crews make changes to the interchange of Interstate 4 and the Florida’s Turnpike, according to Florida’s Department of Transportation. FDOT released a satellite map today showing the areas of detour, further announcing that some ramps from the turnpike to I-4 would be closed overnight April 27 through May 2. Additionally, truckers will have to abandon the tandem parking lot during the early morning hours on April 27 and 28 while new roadways signs are installed at the interchange.

“The Exit 259 ramps from the turnpike, both north- and southbound, will be closed,” wrote Christina Deason of the FDOT. “All exiting traffic [will be ] detoured to Exit 255 (Consulate Drive), for SunPass customers, or Exit 254 (US 17-92/441) for cash customers to reach I-4 via the westbound Beachline Expressway (SR 528).”

Deason noted that drivers on I-4 will still be able to get onto the turnpike. However, drivers traveling westbound on I-4 who want to get onto Florida’s Turnpike could experience delays from I-4’s Exit 77, she said. 

Truckers Losing Tandem Trailer Lot For Two Nights

Construction closures and detours for I-4 and Florida's TurnpikeTruckers and haulers who normally can take advantage of the tandem trailer parking lot, which is adjacent to the turnpike ramps, will not be able to park overnight on April 27 and 28 because of the installation of new sign trusses. However, FDOT stated the overnight closures will only be effective between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., and single trailers will still be able to access the lot from Interstate 4.

Gas Prices Hit New Highs For 2014

Weeks Of Gas Price Increases Bring Cost Within Striking Distance Of $4.00 Per Gallon In Some Areas weekly gas price trend

The cost of a gallon of gas just went up for the ninth consecutive week, bringing the average gas price in the United States to $3.60 per gallon, the highest it has been in 2014 and the highest national average since the September 2, 2013 survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This week’s survey shows the current national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded went up nearly 2¢ per gallon, bringing the current cost of fuel to nearly the same point it was a year ago.

That effectively erases the year-over-year gains drivers had enjoyed as recently as two months ago. As it stands, prices are almost exactly where they were at the end of summer last year, and there is no indication a break will come any time soon for drivers.

Bad News As 2014 Summer Driving Season Approaches

The current spate of price increases has been predicted by TurnpikeInfo.com since the middle of February, based upon a host of factors that emerged in defiance of earlier government forecasts, which had predicted gas prices would decline through 2014. While only the second quarter has started, current circumstances show the price of gas will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

NYMEX trading floor
Trading floor of the New York Mercantile Exchange, where WTI is traded. File photo source: Getty Images.

For one, crude oil spiked to a new high for the year as West Texas Intermediate closed well above $102 per barrel Tuesday, the highest it has been in about a month. Part of the rise was investor speculation about oil inventories going to the Cushing, Oklahoma storage facility, which have declined for a tenth consecutive week. While a significant amount crude oil going to refineries is now able to bypass the Cushing storage facility, WTI contracts are traded off supplies at the facility. Crude supplies at Cushing are currently down 35%, according to the EIA.

The tight supply issue is further complicated by an exacerbated Ukraine crisis, which has flared up once more. Russia has warned Ukraine to halt military exercises in the eastern portion of that nation or risk a civil war. Many ethnic Russians live in the eastern portion of Ukraine. The renewed saber-rattling on the part of Russia has caused additional speculation that energy supplies through Ukraine could be disrupted.

That has caused Brent Light Sweet Crude to rise, pushing the Brent to over $107 as of Tuesday.

Add to that mix the new summer blends of gas, which require ethanol – there is currently a shortage of ethanol and prices are at eight-year highs – and the immediate future for the price of gas is one that trends higher.

Truckers Catch Break As Diesel Prices Dip

Truckers are the only drivers on America’s highways that are enjoying a break this week. In fact, diesel fuel prices have retreated from their 2014 highs and are now down to a U.S. average of just $3.96 per gallon. That price point is down about 1.5¢ from the previous week.

The lowest price for diesel is to be found on the Gulf Coast, where the coast of a gallon of fuel is about $3.79. However, many regions are still seeing prices well above $4.00 per gallon. The costliest fuel is to be found in the New England states, where the average price is about $4.24 per gallon.

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Gas Prices Continue Their Upward Trek As Spring Break Begins

Spring Season About To Begin With Drivers Already Paying More For Gas weekly gas price trend

The price of a gallon of gas continue to get costlier during the past week, with the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded now at $3.55, this according to the latest weekly survey from the U.S. Energy Information Administration

Gas prices have been on a steady upward climb for the past six weeks. The cost of a gallon of fuel was less that $3.30 per gallon at the start of February, but continued winter weather, geopolitical instability in North Africa and Ukraine, combined with rising global demand for crude oil, have all contributed to a continued spate of price increases. The upward trend also shows no sign of coming to an end.

Although domestic crude oil prices finally slipped below $100 per barrel last week, they were pushing toward the century mark once more amid the escalation of tensions between the United States and Russia over Crimea, the apparent breakaway peninsula of Ukraine. The crisis in Ukraine has continued to weigh heavily on the price of commodities, particularly crude and natural gas.

A significant portion of Europe’s natural gas supplies pass  through Ukraine, and the country is also a major supplier of corn stocks which are converted to ethanol. Ethanol is later blended into U.S. gasoline products for retail sale.

EIA graph of regional gas prices

The other problem pushing prices higher is the seasonal adjustment toward summer gasoline supplies. Crude oil supplies had been declining during the past couple of survey weeks, according to the EIA. With the spring and summer driving seasons just around the corner, springtime fuel costs traditionally increase. This year’s price increases are coming on top of existing and atypical price hikes that have plagued drivers so far this year.

Truckers Feeling More Pinch At The Pump

Diesel fuel costs are no better, either. The average price of a gallon of diesel fuel is about two cents less this week than last, but the overall trend has been higher for most of 2014. The current U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel is back down to $4.00, from $4.02 last week, but that figure is about nine cents higher than the start of the year.

For some regions, like the Central and Lower Atlantic regions, truckers are paying considerably more for fuel than even a few months ago, and the year over year numbers are downright dismal. Truck drivers in the Central Atlantic region are paying about 17¢ per gallon more for diesel than at this time last year, while the drivers in the Lower Atlantic states are paying about 10¢ per gallon more.

At the national level, the price of diesel is about four cents per gallon less than at this time in 2013.

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