Price of Diesel

Bob Landry · 06-20-2015, 01:56 PM

Since I tow with a gasser, this is purely academic, but on a trip last week, I notice many places that were selling diesel at a few cents above unleaded to slightly below. It hasn't been that long since diesel was $.70 or more high than gas. Any theories on what is driving this?

jsmith948 · 06-20-2015, 02:36 PM

Election cycle??? Or, have we actually started to see the benefits of the increase in domestic production?
I know that around here and in Bakersfield, wells that have been idle for years are pumping away.

PARAPTOR · 06-20-2015, 02:50 PM

Lower diesel prices are good

and should re ignite diesel and gasser truck debates

roadglide · 06-20-2015, 02:59 PM

Demand for diesel is down there is no war, or the DEF is taking up the slack, Pilot has rv service lanes and 4 to 6 % cent of for good Sams members.

Desert185 · 06-20-2015, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadglide

Demand for diesel is down there is no war, or the DEF is taking up the slack, Pilot has rv service lanes and 4 to 6 % cent of for good Sams members.

That Good Sam discount plus another 2-3% return on a cash rewards card makes a difference in fuel costs that one can put on food or park fees.

therink · 06-20-2015, 07:35 PM

Gasoline demand is up, distillate demand is down (fuel oil, on/off road diesel, kero, etc)

x96mnn · 06-20-2015, 08:17 PM

Where I live diesel is 33 cents cheaper per gallon. It never was that much different, think it may have hit 10 cents more per gallon between October and December.

I think the demand answer is correct, less shipping this time of year, it will go back up toward the end of summer.

**sourdough** · 06-21-2015, 09:24 AM

In my area in TX the difference is about .30 more for diesel at this time. A year or so ago diesel was 1.30 gal higher. It think the observation about demand is probably the answer; but then again, who knows. I do know it usually has nothing to do with the consumer

Mattjtowne · 06-21-2015, 11:25 AM

Owners in OBX need to know this. Paid $3.15 in Rodanthe last night. Been around $2.85 from MD to OBX.

TomHaycraft · 06-22-2015, 03:04 AM

Filled up last night at home (Round Rock, TX), diesel was only 2 cents more a gallon than unleaded. Fingers crossed to see how long it lasts!

**JRTJH** · 06-22-2015, 03:22 AM

Around the Northern Detroit area diesel ranges from $2.69 to $3.39. Stations across the street from each other can have that much difference, so look left and right. Unleaded is around $2.89, so diesel can be found 20 cents cheaper than unleaded up to 50 cents more. Prices for gas have risen about 35 cents in the past 2 weeks, diesel has remained constant and in some places dropped about 10 cents. Further north in Michigan, diesel averages around $2.89 and unleaded is about $2.99.

Through the winter, diesel has seen a steady, slow decrease in price, unleaded has varied up to $1 a gallon at times. It seems gas is much more variable and diesel remains fairly constant with slow rises and falls. As summer approached, diesel slowly fell. That's probably due to the decrease in heating oil demand.

Javi · 06-22-2015, 04:20 AM

$2.55 diesel but all our diesel has anywhere from 5% to 20% corn or cooking oil in it.. And yes the fuel mileage can vary greatly from station to station around the country.. That's one of the main reasons I us a Cetane / lubricity booster in every tank full...

$2.49 reg. unleaded..

Barbell · 06-22-2015, 05:57 AM

Javi, I also have noticed a fuel mileage difference whenever we fill up in Texas. Sometimes as much as 1.5 to 2 mpg. Inlaws used to live in the Dallas area and we could never get there and back without filling up somewhere in Texas. I have been told by Texas truckers that they add water or something else to the fuel. I haven't noticed the difference in any other place and we have towed from California to New England and back several times. Any ideas?

JeffS · 06-22-2015, 10:17 AM

I have always heard that seasonality has an impact upon the price of diesel.
September brings increased diesel demand due to crop harvesting then as winter comes heating oil consumes a lot of the crude used for diesel.

gearhead · 06-24-2015, 07:28 PM

Diesel is a huge export commodity. If demand backs off anywhere (Latin America & China) the supply will increase and price should? fall. Economics 101 hopefully still in effect.
I can't imagine anyone adding water to diesel. It would just phase out and go to the bottom of the storage tank.

Bob Landry · 06-25-2015, 03:31 AM

No one would add water to diesel considering we go to great lengths to filter it out with water separator filters and additives. I can't believe a trucker of all people would even say that.

Javi · 06-25-2015, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbell

Javi, I also have noticed a fuel mileage difference whenever we fill up in Texas. Sometimes as much as 1.5 to 2 mpg. Inlaws used to live in the Dallas area and we could never get there and back without filling up somewhere in Texas. I have been told by Texas truckers that they add water or something else to the fuel. I haven't noticed the difference in any other place and we have towed from California to New England and back several times. Any ideas?

Here in Texas "THEY" add "Bio Diesel" to the #2 diesel in varying percentages.. That can range from 0% up to 20% and the problem is they don't have to tell you how much... All they are required to do is tell you that it MAY CONTAIN UP TO 20% although some stations will use other signage which says up to 5% or some up to 10%.. But you never really know until you are at the pump and reading the sign.

On one hand the Bio Diesel is a good thing because it provides better lubricity than the straight #2 Ultra Low Sulfur; while on the other hand it can reduce the Cetane level of the fuel. Texas set a minimum Cetane level but it is barely adequate for todays diesels.

Again.. that's why I run a Cetane/ lubricity booster in every fill up. And still, from fill-up to fill-up I often see a difference in mileage, and even sound of the engine while running.

therink · 06-25-2015, 05:02 AM

I am in the fuel business. Here in NYS, wholesale fuel distributors can add up to 5 percent bio diesel to ultra low sulfer diesel and can be sold retail without posting on the pump.
No one "waters" down diesel. The last I knew oil and water don't mix.

jkohler70 · 06-25-2015, 06:16 AM

I am always intrigued by the stability of diesel prices near me compared to gasoline. It seems that diesel will stay relatively stable for weeks at a time, while gas will fluctuate significantly during the same period.

Barbell · 06-25-2015, 08:45 AM

Thanks, Javi. That answers my question. Yes, I know diesel fuel and water don't mix but alcohol and water does. I assume that was what my trucker friend was referring to. I use a cetane booster according to the directions on the bottle. Maybe should use a little more when we cross Texas.

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