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You pull up to the pump, see the price, and wince. Now picture filling a big rig again and again, with paychecks that stay the same. That is life for American truckers right now, with diesel above $6 a gallon. These are the drivers who bring food to your grocery store. They say the higher cost could end up in your cart, too.
Diesel Now Costs About $2.60 More Per Gallon Than a Year Ago
Diesel is at or near record highs. AAA says the national average was about $6.32 a gallon on a recent Monday. A year ago, it was about $3.69. That is about $2.60 more for every gallon, a jump of more than 70 percent. It also tops the old record of $5.816 from 2022. The war with Iran is driving the rise. But fuel is not a trucker’s only bill.
Fuel Is Just One Bill on a Trucker’s Long List
Truckers pay for much more than fuel. Suave Dorsett, a Miami trucker with nine years on the road, lists exhaust fluid, parking, showers, weighing loads, repairs, and towing. He even saw diesel at $7.40 a gallon in Ohio. Many drivers pay these costs out of their own pockets. So every extra dollar at the pump has to come from somewhere. Small drivers may feel it first.
Small Independent Drivers Have the Least Room to Absorb It
Small, independent drivers have the least room for rising costs. Dorsett predicts they will be the first to struggle. Past years show why. In 2022, the American Transportation Research Institute found that trucking fuel costs jumped 53.7 percent. Running a truck cost a record $2.25 per mile. Big companies have more cash saved up. Small drivers do not. When money runs low, they could be pushed off the road.
One Small Trucker Leaving the Road Can Start a Chain Reaction
One small trucker leaving the road could set off a chain reaction. Dorsett calls it a domino effect that could reach bigger companies, too. Fewer trucks could mean fewer hands moving goods across the country. Trucks haul food and building supplies, so the loss of drivers could be felt far from the road. That is how a trucker’s problem can become everyone’s problem. And drivers say the first signs of trouble are already here.
“The Rates Are Not Going Up” While Fuel Costs Soar
Pay has not gone up with the fuel bill. “Fuel prices is going up, the rates are not going up,” Dorsett told Fox News Digital. “So it’s hurting our pockets real bad.” In plain words, what drivers earn per load has not grown with their fuel costs. They are paying more and keeping less. Some companies are already cutting back.
Some Companies Are Already Cutting Routes
Some companies are cutting routes. Tyler Rinaldi, a Louisiana trucker with about 10 years of experience, says his company has scaled back weekend runs. “I’ve seen a lot of routes get cut,” he said. Rinaldi, who is married with two children, says fewer routes can mean less money coming home. For a driver, a cut route can mean a smaller paycheck.
“What Do I Have Left to Keep the Doors Open?”
For owners, the math can stop working. Avante Jackson, an 11-year trucker from Charlotte, North Carolina, hauls steel and building materials. “If I’m putting all of my profit in the tank,” he said, “at the end of the day, what do I have left to keep the doors open?” He does not want to scare people about shortages. Still, he says losing many drivers “really could hit the community.”
Washington Promises Relief, but Truckers Want to Be Remembered
Washington says help is on the way. The G7, a group of major world economies, agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products from emergency reserves over four months. A White House spokesperson says a new executive order will quickly cut diesel costs and save truckers more than $100 per fill-up. President Donald Trump predicts oil prices will fall once the war ends. Jackson wants leaders to remember the people who keep America moving.
What Drivers Pay at the Pump Could Show Up in Your Cart
The price at the pump is only the start of the story. Truckers say they are paying more to move goods while their pay has not kept up, and some small operators could be pushed off the road. Whether that reaches your grocery bill depends on how long diesel stays high and how fast help arrives. Until then, the people who fill those tanks are watching every gallon.