(UPDATED 03/22/08) With diesel prices soaring into the stratosphere, few truckers need any more incentive to lighten up on the gas pedal. I'm hearing a lot of talk about a strike, too. Come on, folks. All a strike will do is worsen the economy, further devalue the American dollar, and cause fuel prices to go even higher. That ain't the result we're looking for, OK? The various charts and tables below track and explain the high costs we're paying these days. I hope you find them useful and informative. Each graph and chart is a separate Flash file, so if you're using a slow connection it may take a moment for them to load. All information is gathered from the US Energy Information Administration.

For those of you unfamiliar with big trucks, anything over 6 mpg is considered good fuel mileage. And, diesel is running about a dollar a gallon higher than gasoline right now - due at least in part to the imposition on the trucking and oil industries of ridiculous EPA requirements that drive up the cost of refining. Add to that the unrealistic price hikes on a barrel of oil, due mainly to a hot commodities market, and it's no wonder truckers are pissed right now. Think about all that next time you fuss over the price of filling your car. We buy at least 100 gallons at a time almost every day. Do the math.