Mike
Well-Known Member
If Tony Zawojski didn't have his truck paid off, he's not sure he'd still be an owner/operator.
"It's tough, I'm barely getting by," the Egg Harbor resident said after filling up at Country Express in Bellevue. "If I had to make truck payments, I think I'd be out of business."
Rising diesel prices — just a tick under $3.58 a gallon in the Green Bay area Tuesday — are one of the challenges facing truckers and the industry this year.
When you're putting in 107 gallons of fuel at a time, those costs add up fast.
While surcharges are helping cover the price increases, Zawojski said fuel prices are going up too quickly.
"The surcharges aren't going up as fast as the price of diesel," he said. "I've been an owner/operator for 17 years, and I haven't seen it like this."
Diesel prices have surged in recent weeks to record levels, putting a strain on truck drivers, businesses and potentially, the economy, at a time when economic activity is already slowing.
The national average for diesel was $3.45 cents a gallon Wednesday, up from $3.14 a gallon a month ago and $2.63 a year ago, according AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The gains have come as oil prices have jumped to record levels. Oil prices account for nearly two-thirds of the retail diesel price. Prices rose above a record $99 per barrel Wednesday.
more...
"It's tough, I'm barely getting by," the Egg Harbor resident said after filling up at Country Express in Bellevue. "If I had to make truck payments, I think I'd be out of business."
Rising diesel prices — just a tick under $3.58 a gallon in the Green Bay area Tuesday — are one of the challenges facing truckers and the industry this year.
When you're putting in 107 gallons of fuel at a time, those costs add up fast.
While surcharges are helping cover the price increases, Zawojski said fuel prices are going up too quickly.
"The surcharges aren't going up as fast as the price of diesel," he said. "I've been an owner/operator for 17 years, and I haven't seen it like this."
Diesel prices have surged in recent weeks to record levels, putting a strain on truck drivers, businesses and potentially, the economy, at a time when economic activity is already slowing.
The national average for diesel was $3.45 cents a gallon Wednesday, up from $3.14 a gallon a month ago and $2.63 a year ago, according AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The gains have come as oil prices have jumped to record levels. Oil prices account for nearly two-thirds of the retail diesel price. Prices rose above a record $99 per barrel Wednesday.
more...
