CLIVE, Iowa – Fuel prices continue to climb, with diesel reaching a record high in Iowa and putting added pressure on truck drivers, farmers and the cost of transporting goods.AAA’s Iowa average for diesel reached $6.19 per gallon on Sept. 18, the highest average price recorded in the state. That’s nearly $2.66 more than the same time last year, when Iowa’s average was about $3.54 per gallon.At Love’s off Interstate 80 in Clive, it was $6.64 on Friday afternoon.Regular gasoline is also signi...
CLIVE, Iowa – Fuel prices continue to climb, with diesel reaching a record high in Iowa and putting added pressure on truck drivers, farmers and the cost of transporting goods.
AAA’s Iowa average for diesel reached $6.19 per gallon on Sept. 18, the highest average price recorded in the state. That’s nearly $2.66 more than the same time last year, when Iowa’s average was about $3.54 per gallon.
At Love’s off Interstate 80 in Clive, it was $6.64 on Friday afternoon.
Regular gasoline is also significantly more expensive. Iowa’s average is about $4.40 per gallon, compared with about $2.99 a year ago.
Brenda Neville, president and CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, said the rising cost is putting additional pressure on trucking operations.
“It’s huge. Fuel expenses for a trucking company is one of the top three expenses. Now with the rising cost per gallon, it’s probably at top,” she said. “We certainly are hoping that they start to come down. Truckers are also very nimble. They’re very adaptable. So trucking operations are always watching their expenses.”
Those higher transportation costs can ultimately affect the price consumers pay for goods that have to be shipped across the country.
“We have been through this before. We don’t like it because you remember, if everything goes up for trucking, it also impacts the consumer because the cost of getting their goods to the grocery store or their medicine to the hospital or whatever all costs more. And so then for transporting it, so then that impacts their bottom line,” Neville said.
The federal government has temporarily changed hours-of-service rules for truck drivers transporting gasoline and diesel. They issued a 90-day waiver effective Sept. 16 through Dec. 16. It allows eligible drivers transporting gasoline and diesel to operate for up to 16 hours within a 24-hour period, compared with the standard 14-hour window, while maintaining required rest periods.
The waiver is intended to provide additional flexibility for fuel transportation amid supply concerns.
There is also online speculation about a possible truck driver strike on Oct. 1. Neville said she has not heard of a strike taking place in Iowa, although she acknowledged that frustration is building among truckers as fuel prices continue to rise.
A proposed holiday fuel tax has also been discussed, but Neville said truckers are opposed to the idea.