The rising cost of fuel has everyone paying more at the pump and that includes truck drivers.
Overnight Monday, AAA says regular unleaded gas is an average of $3.73 in Arizona, but diesel prices are just shy of $4 a gallon. That’s up $1.55 over the past year.
ABC15 spoke with Tim Klaus, owner of TDK Transportation, while he was on the road transporting items across the country. He’s based out of Missouri but regularly drives through Arizona.
Customers pay him to carry their products. He says he’s continuously having to raise his rates because the cost of diesel keeps going up.
“I said, 'I’m going to have to raise my rates, I’m sorry,' and they’re begging me not to because there’s not much left after the trucking expense to sell their product. You know, they’re just making it,” Klaus said. “I bid my loads months in advance so it’s really hard to figure out what the price of fuel is going to be. So I told my customers, it’s got to go up. I’m losing three to four hundred dollars a load potential profit.”
President of the Arizona Trucking Association Tony Bradley says it’s an issue they’re watching closely. He says the more fuel costs go up, the more items will cost at the store.
“As those prices continue to stay high obviously the consumer’s going to pay more as we incur higher fuel prices,” Bradley said.
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