Fuel

The average U.S. retail price for diesel fuel reached its highest level since September last week after rising 4 cents to $2.889 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported.

Crude oil briefly touched $76 a barrel for the first time in 11 months before closing just below that level on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

American Trucking Associations and the Canadian Trucking Alliance Tuesday urged state and provincial governments to revise their fuel tax systems to encourage truckers to use truck idling reduction technology.

Volvo AB and Mack Trucks have agreed to develop a heavy-duty diesel engine that would use 10% less fuel and emit 10% less carbon dioxide than 2007 engines under a new agreement between the U.S. and Swedish governments.

Truckers who have purchased heavy-duty tractors with 2007 engines say the vehicles have run as well, if not better, than previous engines in terms of fuel, performance, reliability and maintenance.

The national average price of retail diesel and gasoline both increased last week, the Department of Energy reported, at the same time it was projecting the fuels will continue to climb for the remainder of the summer.

The price of goods imported to the United States rose for a fifth straight month in June, on higher fuel costs, the Labor Department reported Friday.

A measure that would have set standards for “hot fuel” fell just short of passage at a meeting of the National Conference on Weights and Measures, the Kansas City Star reported.