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The U.S. diesel average inched downward for the second consecutive week, dipping 1.5 cents to $4.692 a gallon, while gasoline topped the $4 mark for the first time ever, the Department of Energy reported.

WASHINGTON — Several prototype Class 8 hybrid trucks are currently under development, but the technical and economic obstacles in the way of placing reliable and fuel-efficient heavy hybrid over-the-road trucks in service remain daunting, experts told a House subcommittee.

I joined the company where I work about three months ago, and one of my top-priority jobs has been fuel usage. We had to look at our idling time because all our trucks are sleepers and the drivers run in 48 states.

The U.S. average diesel price took a break last week from its dizzying climb, dipping 1.6 cents a gallon to $4.707, the Department of Energy reported.

Canadian transportation firm Mullen Group Income Fund said Thursday it would buy the transport unit of Essential Energy Services Trust for C$135 million.

American Trucking Associations said Wednesday that it supports the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for taking steps toward increasing transparency of the energy futures markets.

General Motors Corp. is closing four North American truck and sport utility vehicle plants, in light of high fuel prices that are pushing consumers to smaller vehicles, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The only way fuel prices will ever come back down to reasonable levels is for our nation’s truckers to park their rigs for three to seven days. Even drivers for major companies would need to park and refuse to drive.

Emissions from cargo ships would be reduced under legislation that passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the Associated Press reported.

Diesel continued to soar last week, jumping 22.6 cents to put the national average retail price at an unprecedented $4.723 a gallon, according to the Department of Energy.