Diesel Prices Hit Lowest Point Since Mid-December

Source: EIA

The price of diesel fuel in the U.S. fell again last week, bringing the price to its lowest level since Mid-December when the average price was $2.49 per gallon, according to the latest numbers from the Energy Department.

The average price of on-highway diesel fuel fell by 0.7 cents last week, settling at $2.532 per gallon at the pump. The price is still 41.1 cents more expensive than it was in the same week a year ago.

Prices were down in most areas of the U.S., with New England seeing the biggest decrease last week at 2.9 cents. The Rocky Mountain region actually saw a slight increase of 0.7 cents per gallon over the same period of time.

Gasoline prices were also slightly lower last week, as the average price of regular gasoline fell 0.6 cents last week to $2.315 per gallon. The price of gasoline is just under 25 cents higher than it was in the same week of 2016.

Gasoline price changes were a mix of increases and decreases, depending on the region. The largest decrease was in the Midwest, at 3.7 cents per gallon. The largest increase in prices occurred in the Lower Atlantic area where it jumped 2.4 cents for the week.

Crude oil prices have continued to decline over the past week, settling around $48 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate. Reports of higher U.S. oil production have offset a planned production cutback by OPEC and kept prices low in 2017.

The members of OPEC will meet again in mid-2017 to decide whether or not to continue production cutbacks and freezes through the second half of the year, according to a report in MarketWatch.

Related: Alternative Fuels in the Age of Cheap Oil

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Highway Angel of the Year Rescued Driver Stranded in Flood

Melton Truck Lines driver Daniel Sieczkarski of Rochester, N.Y., has been named the 2016 Highway Angel for his efforts to save a stranded fellow driver from rising floodwaters last year.

Sieczkarski was recognized at the Truckload Carriers Association's Annual Convention at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn. The Highway Angel program, is in its 20th year, recognizes truck drivers who have selflessly helped others while on the job.

Sieczkarski was honored for his efforts to help a driver who was stranded in his truck as water raised by a flash flood was rising around the vehicle. Sieczkarski spotted the truck parked sideways by a bridge on Interstate 10 near Brookshire, Texas. He parked his own vehicle in a safe spot and then ran back to check the scene, spotting the driver still in the cab.

Sieczkarski and another motorist who had also stopped, tried to float a life vest toward the driver to grab onto. The two tried to talk the rdiver into leaving his tractor trailer and belongings behind for 15 minutes before Sieczkarski took matters into his own hands.

Donning the life vest, he swam out to the truck and opened the cab door. With the door opened, the stranded driver finally realized how quickly the water was rising and agreed to leave his truck. The two swam toward dry land through the rough waters, being dragged under several times but they were able to make it thanks to the help of several bystanders who had gathered to help pull them in.

“I'm told that an hour after Daniel rescued the other driver, the stranded tractor-trailer was fully submerged underwater,” said Russell Stubbs, TCA chairman. “Talk about ‘just in time delivery!'”

Lance Platt, CEO of EpicVue, sponsor of the award, presented Sieczkarski with a trophy and prize – a complimentary EpicVue satellite TV package ...Read the rest of this story

ATA Announces Leadership Shakeup at TMC

The American Trucking Associations has announced that Carl Kirk, long-time executive director of its Technology and Maintenance Council, has left ATA's employ and that TMC Technical Director Robert Braswell has been named to serve as TMC's acting executive director.

“The TMC officers are excited to continue working with Robert in his new role," said Glen McDonald, TMC general chairman and maintenance director at Ozark Motor Lines. He added that "TMC leadership is looking forward to working in greater collaboration with ATA's new leadership to help promote and grow both entities."

Braswell has been with TMC for 25 years. He has worked in all aspects of the organization, including directing its voluntary recommended practice and product development efforts, and organizing the TMCSuperTech and TMC FutureTech Technician Skills Competitions. He also appeared on SiriusXM radio as the co-host of Tech Talk with TMC on The Dave Nemo Show.

"Working for TMC these past 25 years has been both challenging and rewarding, affording me the unique opportunity to pursue my interests in the areas of technical sciences, publishing and association management," said Braswell. "The best part of all, however, is the opportunity to work with our membership: the hardest working bunch I've ever encountered. Their enthusiasm for this organization is obvious and contagious, and it has been a pleasure to help these folks help our industry move forward."

ATA noted that the announcement was in keeping with the trucking lobby's ongoing restructuring.

Related: TMC's New Chairman on Trucking's Race to the Future

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PeopleNet to offer 4G LTE coverage for fleets

NASHVILLE. PeopleNet announced it is the first fleet management provider to offer a connection to 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks, now available through its PeopleNet ConnectedFleet platform. The announcement was made at the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) 2017 Annual Convention.

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