FOREST PARK, Ga. — If you’re purchasing goods that are delivered by a diesel truck you may have to pay a little more. The price of diesel keeps going up and truck drivers say that cost is being passed on to customers.
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“It’s putting a strain on profitability, to be honest,” said independent truck driver Eddie Ewing.
He says high diesel prices are doing a number on his wallet, and he isn’t making more money on the loads he transports across the country.
“You would think because diesel is so high that I would get a better rate on going out on that load, but it’s not,” he said.
We’re seeing diesel prices around $6.39 around the metro area. It was around $5 last week. Diesel averaged $3.55 this time last year.
Truck drivers say businesses are passing the costs on to customers.
“So now I mean you guys, regular consumers, should feel it,” Ewing said.
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“When the demand goes up and the supply really goes, down prices go up,” said Rajeev Dhawan, the Director of Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center.
Dhawan says there’s enough oil but not enough refined product to make the gas and diesel we need.
He says Ukraine is knocking out Russia’s refineries in the war between the two countries.
“Which means the biggest supplier of diesel in the world does not have any more. In fact, they’re importing it from the rest of the world,” said Dhawan.
He says that’s driving up the cost of diesel worldwide
Vendors at a Farmers Market in Forest Park say they’ve had to raise prices because of rising diesel prices. One shopper says she had to cut back on spending because of the price increases.
“I just can’t buy everything I need because everything is so expensive,” Jessica Justo said.
Dhawan says businesses may start implementing surcharges on some items that cost more to truck in, and we may see more shrink-flation, where you pay the same costs for a product, but you get less in the bag.
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