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High diesel prices hurting truckers and consumers

October 12, 2005

Albany--Gasoline prices are slowly coming down, but diesel prices remain right at an all time high. That's certainly affecting the trucking industry, but it will affect you as well.

Trucker Sammy Rush fills his 18-wheeler up everyday, costing him on average $200.

"It's just hard to comprehend because you've never seen this before," he says.

The price of diesel fuel is nearly 65% higher than it was last year. With no sign of diesel prices coming down anytime soon, trucking companies look for ways to save.

 "They tell us to limit the amount of time that you idle your truck. Don't try to do any unnecessary idling," he says.

But while the price of diesel is hurting truckers, it's also hurting, you, the consumer.

 "Everything, you know, produce, meat, and everything else, it's going to go up because the company has to compensate for the price of fuel," says Rush.

Trucker Steven Higginbotham agrees. "If we have to pay more for fuel, the price is going to go up in everything that you buy, makeup, food, and everything else," he says.

Higginbotham worries if the cost of diesel fuel continues to rise, it could put some trucking companies out of business.

"We're just making ends meet now as it is. If my company don't make it, what's going to happen to me?" he says

Trucker Sammy Rush agrees that's a possibilty, but he remains optimistic at least for now.

"If it ever gets up to about $4 a gallon or something like that, it's gonna be rough," he says.

According to the American Petroleum Institute, the demand for diesel is much higher than it is for gasoline.

The national average for diesel fuel is currently $3.15.

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