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Cover Story : Truck Report <br /> By TOM BERG,Truck Editor <br /> Ho w o <br /> Idle Waste of Fuel . <br /> spiking diesel prices have caused operators of construction trucks <br /> to stop shrugging off fuel costs and look for ways to save money <br /> iesel fuel prices in mid-August reached <br /> the highest average cost ever: S1.314 <br /> per gallon, according to the U.S. <br /> Department of Ener,,s weekly survey. <br /> In California and other West Coast <br /> markets, diesel was well above S2 a gallon. <br /> !� Some experts believe that awakening demand <br /> in China and India mean we'll never again <br /> see cheap oil. <br /> There are several logical wav to <br /> survive this: Specifx• fuel-efficient <br /> trucks—a subject-we often cover in our <br /> regular driving and news features.Charge <br /> more money to cover increased expenses. <br /> including fuel. And take the necessarx <br /> steps to conserve fuel. <br /> How trucking rates are set varies vaide- <br /> lp around the country anal, in most cases. <br /> i truck owners have little control over what <br /> + they re paid. '`lam•construction-truck oper- <br /> ations support publicalll funded road projects. <br /> where contracts are dra«•n uo in advance and <br /> often do not provide for fuel-price spikes. <br /> So the California Dump Truck Owners <br /> v. - Association is thing to get rate adjustments <br /> written into contracts.This%vould�vork some <br /> thing like federally sanctioned fuel surcharges <br /> paid by shippers to freight haulers.The group's <br /> general manager. Lee Brown. has proposed <br /> -structured or surcharge price adjustments""for <br /> fuel and construction commodities.and would <br /> 1 October 2004 Construction Equipment <br />