Economy
Fuel Prices Hit 7-Year High Amid Shortage
Across the country, gas stations are facing gas shortages, which are now helping drive up fuel prices to a seven-year high. Experts predict the situation to worsen as more than 40 million Americans will hit the road for the upcoming Fourth Of July holiday weekend.
RELATED: Gas Prices Are Now Highest Since 2014
Fuel Prices At Seven-Year Highs
As of yesterday, nationwide average fuel prices (regular unleaded gallon) hit $3.09. According to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA), this is the highest price recorded since 2014.
The AAA also predicts that around 43.6 million Americans will take a road trip this weekend. This will help pump up prices to an even higher rate. In fact, some stations in Los Angeles, California are already selling gas near $6 per gallon.
“Today, 89 percent of US gas stations are selling regular unleaded for $2.75 or more. That is a stark increase over last July 4 when only a quarter of stations were selling gas for more than $2.25. Road trippers will pay the most to fill up for the holiday since 2014,” said AAA spokesperson Jeanette McGee.
Shortage of Fuel Truck Drivers
Prices continue to skyrocket amid surging demand as Americans continue to take longer trips. In addition, a shortage of licensed fuel truck drivers is leaving many gas stations in various areas short on stock.
According to Patrick DeHaan, spokesperson for Gas Buddy, there are reported shortages in the Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio.
Tom Kloza, energy analyst global head for Oil Price Information Service, tracks the prices for AAA. “It used to be an afterthought for station owners to schedule truck deliveries.
Now it’s job No. 1,” he noted. “What I’m worried about for July is the increased demand works out to about 2,500 to 3,000 more deliveries needed every day. There just aren’t the drivers to do that,” he added.
20-25% of Tanker Trucks Don’t Have A Driver
With the shortage of truck drivers, retailers, food shop owners, and others all struggle with a fading supply chain. However, drivers for fuel trucks require distinct certifications.
This limits the supply of ready and qualified fuel truck drivers who can help augment shortages. Industry trade group The National Tank Truck Carriers estimates that between 20-25% of tank trucks nationwide are parked due to a shortage of qualified drivers.
“We’ve been dealing with a driver shortage for a while, but the pandemic took that issue and metastasized it,” said Ryan Streblow, executive vice president of the NTTC. “It certainly has grown exponentially,” he added.
Demand For Fuel Has Yet To Reach Its Peak
Even more worrisome is the fact that demand has yet to peak for fuel. “I don’t think demand has reached a peak yet,” DeHaan noted. He also said that there is a growing number of stations running low on fuel.
However, he said he cannot get a precise count right now. “It’s hard to predict where the challenges are,” he said. “It’s just randomized pockets in cities both small and large.”
Watch the NBC News video reporting that fuel prices rise ahead of fourth of July travel:
Loading ...Do you have travel plans for this July 4th weekend? Given the present state of high prices and low stocks, will you change your plans?
In addition, do you think fuel prices will fall to lower levels once truck drivers show up en masse?
Tell us what you think. Share your comments below!
9 Comments
THANKS TO CREEPY JOE SINCE THE FIRST DAY IN OFFICE AND IT’S GONNA GET WORSE
The Democratic way…..higher fuel prices which drive up everything!!! If the ignorant leftist ideals continue to have their way we will be a society of very wealthy and very poor.
Wouldn’t have this problem if the election wasn’t stolen!! Get Biden out!!
..WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY FROM THE COMMIE -DEMON-RATZ..!! ** TRUMP IS OUR PRESIDENT **
go to electric cars
Joe biden shut down keystone pipeline Russia gets to open up there’s Democrats and joe biden are going to reverse everything President Donald Trump did even if it destroys the United States just look at the crime in this country and the border
…AND yet we will sit back and do absolutely nothing about this total bullshit!! Gas will be over $4 a gallon before fall and it is set to be a huge fuel shortage by the start of 2022. Now I remind all of you that we have the resources HERE in this country to make all of our lives much easier and profitable but when you have a total corrupt administration and media that are running the show and too many complacent idiots that go along with whatever they say you get the biggest crisis/mess that this country has ever experienced!! Things are going to get much worse but I still have no faith in the patriotic masses doing the only thing that will reverse this collapse of the country and that is to forcefully push back until we wipe out all parts of the communist cancerous regime that is joyfully taking us down!!
You’re absolutely correct about not doing anything. I admit I’m one of the ones that will sit here and complain like there’s no tomorrow and won’t do a damn thing about it. I wish someone would stand up and lead the biggest revolution this countries ever seen. There are millions of us ready to fight for our country so things can get back to what was normal before the biggest theft in history. Millions would be willing to take this country back by force. Millions that are capable and equipped to taking this country back by force black, white, brown you name it. We just want this corrupt communist group that’s being led by Obama removed. What happens to all the evidence what happened to trust the plan? We were fooled royally. Obama even said that Biden is just carrying out his agenda to fundamentally change this country from top to bottom. They want socialism everything period. Which always leads to communism. That’s all these people are. If we had someone that could gather and coordinate the people that would fight for our freedom that’s hanging on the edge right now people would follow but we are afraid of the cancel culture rat bastards that would turn you in, rat neighbors, rat relatives the socialist democrats are now pushing this if you own an assault rifle you support domestic terrorist or if you have one your are a domestic terrorist or you might carry out domestic terrorist acts. They love to play with words and redefine things to their advantage. They’re so good at making stuff up and rewriting history. If we had a leader or leaders that we could trust that wouldn’t get us busted at the first meeting we had or something I don’t know but we have to do something quick because this time next year this country won’t be recognizable. Especially with it being an election year you know damn good and well there’s gonna be another massive hoaxed up deadly strain of whatever at the end of this year so that they can’t roll out their cheat machines and mail in ballot harvesting push so they can retain the house and senate you mark my words you all know it’s gonna happen just like 2020. Same scenario. God I wish had was still $2.10 per gallon gas like it was the last day trump was in office. We’ll never see that again as long as we sit here and do nothing but bitch on the internet like I’m doing now. I can’t fight this revolution by myself I hope there are more like me that are ready to fight we just need and general Flymn perhaps hell they would arrest him immediately if they caught wind he was leading a revolt. I don’t know folks but it’s looking very dreary 😞 why is it that the socialist commie bastards can coordinate allllll of their marches and riots and protest and tear everything up and loot parties but we can’t seem to get anything together on our side. Is it because we all have a life and jobs and families that we have to consider before we just jump on a rented bus caravan that will head to the next counter protest by the other group. Or is it because they aren’t a genuine protest but are all paid participants? How can our side cut the head off the snake? Does someone need to off the Soros SOB. Will that do it? How do we take our country back? It use to be we’ll get them next time at the voting booth but we all know that that isn’t ever gonna happen again they’ve been given a free pass to lie cheat and steal every election from here on out and not even the Supreme Court will do anything about it. Hell the won’t even look at the plain as Day evidence. We have to to fight physically fight we weren’t handed down this 2amendment for nothing we weren’t given this God given right to just put on a bumper sticker, people didn’t fight and die for our rights so we could go dear hunting with theses firearms. We were granted these God given rights so we would never have to live under a tyrannical oppressive regime that wants you to conform or be shunned by society for not excepting their twisted and perverted god hating, people hating lifestyles that pit one group against another, everyone’s a victim mentality. We have to fight or we will become the next Rome. I wish it didn’t have to be this way but we’ve sat on our hands and kept our mouths shut way to long.
Everybody needs to just relax gas prices always goes up in the summer. Last year. Was $ 3.10