ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Truck drivers nationwide are feeling the impact of record-breaking diesel prices. Some drivers say they have to limit their loads because of the cost.

Owner-operators say fuel costs cut into pay

Yahathan, a truck driver for 28 years, said diesel prices are having a negative impact on his work because he travels long distances, sometimes for months at a time.

“We’re going to automatically spend over $2,000 a week on fuel,” Yahathan said. “Because in order to make money, the truck has to keep moving, has to keep rolling. So that’s using up fuel every time you roll.”

Yahathan said speed affects how much fuel is used, but drivers who need to reach a destination quickly can spend $70,000 or more. He said he just finished a load and was waiting to hear from a broker about his next one, likely toward Chicago.

Yahathan, who is an owner-operator, said the rising prices are affecting his business.

“I feel that diesel for truck drivers, you know, it shouldn’t go up at a high rate because we make the world go ‘round,” Yahathan said. “Now, without us, no companies wouldn’t even exist.”

Yahathan said company drivers are not responsible for fuel costs, but owner-operators like himself have to manage fuel spending closely to sustain their business. He said the increase is causing him to cut down on loads because of the distances he has to travel. He said he pays for fuel out-of-pocket because he owns his truck.

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Another driver says costs have tripled

Christopher Jackson, who has been driving trucks for about 15 years, also said diesel prices are affecting his work.

“It is ridiculous,” Jackson said. “Just imagine everything going up except your pay.”

Jackson said he drives a 26-foot box truck and it used to cost $100 to complete a day’s load. He said it now costs $300 without additional incentives.

Jackson said he has not had to limit his travel because of his experience, but said the cost increase could affect other drivers differently than it would have affected him a few years ago.

“Diesel coming down at a reasonable price. Stop,” Jackson said when asked what changes he wants to see. “You know, every other week is... it’s just... I don’t understand it. It don’t make sense.”

Jackson said diesel prices were at $6.39 at the time of the interview and have been rising every week. He said he considers drivers to already be at a breaking point.

“We’re there now. I’m there now. I’m there now, right now. I was there at $5,” Jackson said. “This is terrible.”

A driver warns of impact on stores

A truck driver who did not want to be named said diesel prices are “ridiculous” and said the increase affects more than just fuel costs.

“Not only is diesel prices going to go up, but everything else, because everything is delivered by a truck,” the driver said. “Everything we have is delivered by a truck, and if the prices of fuel keep going up, then everything in the stores, everything is going to go up.”

The driver said semi-truck drivers are vital because goods that arrive by ship or train still have to reach stores by truck.

“Without the semi-truck drivers, we don’t have anything,” the driver said.

Asked whether stores could see shortages because of diesel prices reaching $6.39, the driver said it was likely, “for short-term, maybe even long-term.”

The driver, who has been driving since 2007, said diesel prices have fluctuated over the years, previously reaching $5 before falling back down. The driver said prices have been rising since the Iran War.

“Without the truck drivers, a lot of independent drivers might go out of business,” the driver said.

The driver said independent truck drivers are paid by the mile, with pay varying based on distance and freight, and said an independent driver going out of business would affect their livelihood.

Diesel prices by the numbers

The national average price for diesel fuel reached $6.3147 per gallon on Sept. 16, according to GasBuddy data, the highest recorded average price for diesel fuel. Regular unleaded’s highest recorded average was $4.4991 per gallon on June 15, 2022.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average price for on-highway diesel fuel in the U.S. was:

• $5.599 per gallon on Aug. 31
• $5.967 per gallon on Sept. 7
• $6.285 per gallon on Sept. 14

The Sept. 14 average was up $2.759 from two years ago.

By region, on-highway diesel averages for Sept. 14 included:

• East Coast (PADD1): $6.158 per gallon
• New England (PADD1A): $6.202 per gallon
• Central Atlantic (PADD1B): $6.312 per gallon
• Lower Atlantic (PADD1C): $6.096 per gallon
• Midwest (PADD2): $6.250 per gallon
• Gulf Coast (PADD3): $6.027 per gallon
• Rocky Mountain (PADD4): $6.066 per gallon
• West Coast (PADD5): $7.250 per gallon
• West Coast less California: $6.566 per gallon
• California: $8.039 per gallon

GasBuddy data also showed some of the largest weekly diesel price increases over the last week were recorded in Fort Stewart, Ga. and Moorhead, Minn., each up 82 cents per gallon. Other increases included Athens, Ga., up 75 cents per gallon; Santa Cruz, Calif., up 73 cents per gallon; Brunswick, Ga., up 71 cents per gallon; Atlanta, up 70 cents per gallon; Fort Myers, Fla., up 70 cents per gallon; West Palm Beach, Fla., up 70 cents per gallon; and Dalton, Ga., up 68 cents per gallon.

In Georgia, the current average diesel price was $6.3147 per gallon, compared with the national average of $6.3103 per gallon. A week ago, Georgia’s average was $5.7146 per gallon, compared with a national average of $5.9424 per gallon. A year ago, Georgia’s average was $3.5525 per gallon, compared with a national average of $3.7008 per gallon.

Patrick De Haan, an analyst for GasBuddy, said gas and diesel prices were set for a spike over the next 48 hours, with the hardest impact in parts of the nation’s interior. De Haan said diesel prices could rise to $6.65 per gallon by the end of the weekend.

Reaction on social media

Readers responded to the story on social media. One commented that diesel rates are rising while freight rates are not, and said “America about to see who really runs the states.”

Another commenter agreed: “preach on!! Enough is ENOUGH!!”

Another raised concerns, saying if semi-trucks park and refuse to deliver, “restaurants and stores, farmers crops, gas, everything just STOPS.”

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