The nearly 700,000 owner-operators and small fleet operations in the U.S. are getting squeezed hard due to record-high fuel costs.
Large freight operations and big-box fleets can more easily absorb and pass along some of the most expensive diesel since the U.S. Energy Information Administration began tracking data in 1994. Needless to say, truck diesel never edged anywhere near close to the more than $5.25 per gallon average in mid-March, with some regions experiencing significantly higher prices at the pump. California’s truckers continue to face the highest prices and fuel costs for the 11-truck fleet at Superior Modular Transportation spiked by upwards of $10,000 per week.
“Ultimately, if it continues, we could possibly have to park trucks,” Superior president Daniel Titus reportedly said.
The small-fleet operator reportedly explained drivers are already working 10-20 fewer hours and customers say they cannot accommodate fast-rising rate hikes. The Golden State saw diesel prices exceed $6.20 during March.
“Nobody contemplated back then we could see diesel costs in excess of $5 a gallon,” Peter Latta, chairman of A. Duie Pyle in Pennsylvania, reportedly said. “The velocity of the increase has really been dramatic.”
The essential question is no longer whether the debilitating fuel costs are driven by the Russia-Ukraine war or the Biden Administration’s anti-fossil fuel policies. Hard-working truckers simply need to find the cheapest diesel possible. One of the better resources for over-the-road truckers to consider is the AAA Gas Prices page. Updated regularly, truckers can click on diesel prices by state and strategically plan refueling to save money. These are the states that posted the most expensive diesel on the last day of March.
- California – $6.424
- Hawaii – $5.635
- Washington – $5.580
- Oregon – $5.488
- Pennsylvania – $5.469
Some of the AAA price rankings may shift from day to day. But these five states generally run on the expensive end of the curve. On a more positive note, these five were the best places to fill up tanks on March 31.
- Maryland – $4.709
- Missouri – $4.737
- Oklahoma – $4.760
- Kansas – $4.780
- Nebraska – $4.799
An organization that drew national attention during the recent fuel-cost crisis was Gas Buddy. The online platform offers station-by-station data and convenient app truckers can download. Although Gas Buddy might seem like another passenger vehicle darling, reviewing truck stops and conveniently located diesel pumps along a route can save money.
It’s not uncommon for chain stations to charge rates that differ by as much as $0.10 per gallon or more. When you’re filling a 300-gallon tank and traveling 3,000 miles, those costs add up. In fact, a recent media report indicates the cost of filling that tank skyrocketed from approximately $910 to more than $1,500 at the end of March.
Sources: aaa.com, gasbuddy.com, wsj.com
I pulled my pickup and my travel trailer around to the ‘big truck’ fueling area because I could not get into the automobile fueling area. Diesel was, as advertised on the highway sign, $5.09/gal. The pump would not take a credit card and advised me to see the cashier to use a card. Well, screw that. I drove back around to the auto pumps and this time, found an open pump I could fit into. Low and behold, the diesel on THIS side of the station was $4.98/gal! This was on I-10 in NM. What a ripoff for the big trucks!