ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — Conflict in the Middle East is pushing fuel prices higher across the country. Missouri truckers are feeling it hard — and some are questioning whether they can stay on the road.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas sits at $3.98, up 14 cents from last week. Missouri drivers are paying an average of $3.43 per gallon, up eight cents. In Illinois, the average jumped 29 cents to $4.22. Diesel has climbed even further, topping five dollars a gallon in some areas.
“Many drivers have seen sticker shock at the pumps over the last month,” said Nick Chabaria, AAA Missouri spokesman. “Across the state, we’ve seen prices rise anywhere from $0.80 to a dollar on average in the last month alone at local gas stations.”
For truck driver Raymond Garcia, filling up now costs around $1,000 per tank. Speaking to local media, Garcia said the pressure is mounting. “It’s taking money for sure from my family and stuff. It’s more of a hassle, you know? But it’s getting harder and harder,” Garcia said. He came into trucking expecting strong earnings. The fuel costs have flipped that equation. “I came in thinking it’s a lot of money, it’s going to help me out a lot. But yeah, the price of gas is kind of like — it’s not making any sense. This is not what I thought it was going to be.” If prices keep climbing, Garcia says he may have to rethink his future in trucking.
Chabaria pointed to the Iran conflict as the key driver behind the diesel spike. “Diesel, prior to the war with Iran, was already seeing some tight supply, so prices were already elevated,” he said. “And then with the war with Iran and all the oil that comes out of that region that’s now stuck there, that’s causing diesel prices to come up even quicker.”
Driver interviews courtesy of FOX.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
