TF,
Yes, both producers and users of natural resources, frequently hedge the prices using futures contracts and the like.
On the transportation side, I don't know why anyone operating big rigs doesn't convert to natural gas as a fuel, the savings are substantial. Some trucks are commercially available that can run on both diesel or natural gas.
If the environmentalists don't shut down nat gas drilling, it's got a bright future, whatever happens on the oil front. Technology is developing so fast, it's hard to tell what's coming down the pike next.