JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While local drivers have been feeling the upset over rising gas prices, the backbone of the American supply chain is facing an even steeper uphill climb. In St. Augustine and across the state, truck drivers are struggling to keep pace with diesel costs that have skyrocketed in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East.
For owner-operators like Peter Romeo, the math no longer adds up. At a local truck stop, Romeo recently paid $575 for 99 gallons of diesel—an amount that will last him only a single day.
With diesel now averaging $5.80 a gallon, the financial shock is immediate. According to AAA, that same gallon averaged just $3.68 last month and $3.60 a year ago. We witnessed one driver spend over $1,000 just to fill his tank.
“These jobs are already booked,” Romeo explained. “The jobs booked three weeks from now will have a higher fuel surcharge, but for now, I’m taking the hit.” Romeo says he understand the price going up because of war. He says for now he has enough saved where its not impacting his business but knows this cant be kept up.
The crisis in the trucking industry is rarely contained to the highway. Experts warn that because trucks, tractors, and trains all run on diesel, the increased overhead will soon land on the doorsteps of everyday consumers.
“The U.S. economy is run by trucks, farmers in their fields, and trains,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy. “All of that is powered by diesel. It’s going to be impactful, especially to Florida’s farmers.”
Romeo agrees, predicting that the price of everything from plastic goods to groceries will climb. “Because with oil, everything goes up. We pass it on to the consumer because we can’t afford it the way it is.”
Beyond the grocery aisle the impact is even stretching into the world of entertainment. Kole Hillman, a driver who transports touring bands, says the surge is changing the cost of live music. Since clients typically pay for fuel out of pocket, those costs could be factored into the price of admission.
“The clients... you have to put that back into ticket prices for the people who want to come see them,” Hillman said. “Everything is going up.”
The Sunshine State is particularly vulnerable to these spikes. Petroleum analysts note that coastal regions like Florida often see higher prices because the state lacks its own refineries, requiring fuel to be transported from long distances—a process that is, ironically, becoming more expensive by the day.
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