Diesel prices dropped suddenly overnight, with ProMiles reporting significant drops in most states Friday, Oct. 28.

ProMiles reported a national average of $2.981 per gallon on Oct. 28, down more than 6 cents from the previous day. ProMiles reported the biggest drop in Nebraska, where prices fell 18 cents overnight.

Most states – including California – had slipped below the $3 mark. Wisconsin showed the highest prices at an average of $3.25 per gallon.

Neil Gamson, an analyst with the Energy Information Administration, told “Land Line Now” that supplies returning to normal along the Gulf Coast have finally translated into lower diesel prices at the pump.

“Diesel prices were the last of the product prices to come down,” he said. “Gasoline retreated several weeks earlier.”

Gamson said diesel has taken longer to come down because it has had to compete for refinery capacity with home heating oil, which is made from the same distillate. However, he said, supplies are beginning to get back to normal.

“Stocks of distillate in general seem to be in fairly good shape now and some of that pressure has been relieved,” he said.

A check of the Petro and Flying-J Web sites Friday showed many locations selling diesel for well under $3. Prices in the $2.70s and $2.80s were not uncommon. 

Petro showed a truck stop in Knoxville, TN, selling diesel Friday for $2.63 per gallon. And Flying-J listed a stop in Bessemer, AL, at $2.59. That’s down more than 55 cents from the national average two weeks ago.