N.J. Turnpike Lowering Diesel Prices

Diesel fuel prices have plunged to record lows, but next year truckers traveling the New Jersey Turnpike will pay even less at the pump.

The New Jersey Turnpike authority announced at a December 23 meeting that it would implement a diesel fuel discount program starting next February designed to attract more trucks onto the turnpike and off local roads.

Under the agreement, both the Authority and its gasoline operator, Sunoco, will give up a share of their revenue from diesel sales in order to make fuel prices on the turnpike as competitive as those off the turnpike.

"It’s going to make the per-gallon price of diesel fuel as low as the lowest responsible retail off-turnpike charge," said Edward Gross, the Turnpike’s executive director. He said the Authority will use a statewide survey of truck stops and gas stations to determine what price to make diesel along the entire turnpike.

Right now, Mr. Gross estimated the Turnpike’s diesel prices fall in the middle of the spectrum. "Our road goes across the entire state so in some areas its extremely competitive and in other areas it’s not because we have one price for all our service areas," he said.

The new program is expected to save truckers between 11 and 15 cents per gallon.

"The turnpike is committed to continue to create innovative and creative programs to attract more trucks to the road and off the local systems," said Mr. Gross.

Truckers fled the Turnpike in 1991 when truck tolls doubled, and began using the already overburdened state highways.

The New Jersey Motor Truck Association, one of the key proponents of the plan, applauded the Authority’s attempts to make amends with commercial vehicles. "This is a very significant program for the industry," said Sam Cunninghame, NJMTA’s executive director. "They’re trying to make it an advantage of the truck operator to use the turnpike to coax the trucks back that left in 1991."

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