BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — If you think filling up your car is expensive, imagine fueling a semi-truck and having a crew transporting your favorite goods.
Johnny Olaguez, owner of Olaguez Inc., is going through his daily routine of filling up his truck.
But these days, he says he can only afford to fill it halfway.
What may come as a shock to many drivers is that $500 now only fills half of his tank.
“We went from spending $500 at the time, let’s say it was $5 a gallon to now spending $800 to $850,” Olaguez said. “It depends on where you fuel up and what the price is at any given day.”
To manage costs, Olaguez says he now caps his fill-ups at $500.
But he says the rising price at the pump is just the beginning of a larger problem.
“This is affecting not only trucking companies and our jobs it’s impacting industries across the board,” he said.
According to AAA, gas prices in California are among the highest in the nation, reaching around $6 per gallon for regular fuel and closer to $7 for diesel.
Olaguez says business has slowed down, and it’s not just because of fuel.
“The cost of everything is going up,” he explained. “To do an oil change, that’s gone up. If you need road service, that’s gone up. Parts have gone up.”
He also says the companies he delivers to are adding extra costs, creating even more pressure on drivers like him.
“The issue with that is, a lot of the owner-operators and companies I work for I don’t get paid for a month, sometimes two months,” Olaguez said.
That delay in payment, combined with rising expenses, is making it increasingly difficult for small trucking businesses to stay afloat.
When asked what solutions he wants to see, Olaguez pointed to the need for action from lawmakers.
“I would like to see our representatives sit down,” he said. “It may not be impacting them directly, but it’s impacting jobs we’re seeing a lot of people cutting back on work.”
For now, Olaguez says he’s focused on staying on the road but with costs continuing to climb, he worries about what comes next for the industry.
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