AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 10/01/21

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.096; Month Ago: $3.609; Year Ago: $3.293. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $4.697; Month Ago: $5.269; Year Ago: $3.578.

American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.3% in April after increasing 2.3% in March. In April, the index equaled 114.7 (2015=100) compared with 115.1 in March. “After a revised increase in March of 2.3%, the April index declined just slightly,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The outlook is solid for tonnage going forward as the country approaches pre-pandemic levels of activity, with strong economic growth in key areas for trucking – including retail, home construction and even manufacturing. “Additionally, the index increased on a year-over-year basis for the first time since March 2020. Part of the reason for the gain was due to an easy comparison with when the index fell significantly in April 2020,” he said. “But I’m expecting increases, albeit smaller than April’s, on a year-over-year basis going forward. Trucking’s biggest challenges are not on the demand side, but on the supply side, including difficulty finding qualified drivers.”

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.143; Month Ago: $3.067; Year Ago: $2.189. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.260; Month Ago: $3.202; Year Ago: $2.439.