Diesel prices surge across Bay Area as California fuel costs hit record highs

"The national average for diesel has risen to $5.63 per gallon. In California, drivers are paying significantly more - about $7.44 on average - with some Bay Area cities exceeding even those figures. For businesses that rely on diesel, the impact is immediate and painful."

"On a recent drive through Sonoma County, local trucking company owner Kyle Cameron watched the cost of doing business climb in real time. "We just drove six miles - it just cost me seven, sevenfifty," Cameron said from behind the wheel of his big rig."

"Cameron owns Cameron and Company Trucking, which hauls dirt, sand and gravel for construction projects across the Bay Area. His fleet operates daily, and nearly every truck requires a full tank - where costs are spiraling. "To fill the tank on this Kenworth - it's 100 gallons - it costs me $710," Cameron said."

"Farhad Sabetan, an economics professor at Cal State East Bay, says the answer comes down to supply and demand. "Diesel inventories were already low before recent global conflicts," Sabetan said. "Years of high freight demand, along with limited refinery capacity, have kept diesel stockpiles thin.""

Diesel prices are climbing quickly across the country, reaching some of the highest levels in California. The national average is $5.63 per gallon, while California averages about $7.44, and some Bay Area cities exceed that. Trucking businesses that rely on diesel face immediate cost pressure because fleets often require full tanks and operate daily. A local trucking owner describes watching fuel costs rise during short drives and paying about $710 to fill a 100-gallon tank. Because small transportation companies cannot absorb the increases, costs are passed to construction companies, which can ripple further to consumers. Diesel prices also remain consistently higher than gasoline in the Bay Area. An economics professor attributes the situation to low diesel inventories, high freight demand, and limited refinery capacity.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco