Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas reportingA trip to the gas station is really starting to hurt!
"Yesterday, when I filled up my tank, the price was $2.39, $240. That's a lot of money for the cab driver."
The prices are at an all-time high and they just keep going up! Everyone is feeling the effects, especially families on a budget, and those who drive for a living.
The price for unleaded gas at a local Chevron station is $2.23 a gallon. That's a little higher than the state's average of $2.18. But the high prices are easy to find. And heaven forbid you need diesel fuel! The state average is $2.43 a gallon.
These days, many people dread filling their car with gas.
Myndee Bassett, Driver: "I don't want to get gas because it's too expensive, but there's nothing else you can do."
Lindsay Hanson, Driver: "It makes you not want to drive near as much, and I guess think twice before you go anywhere."
We stopped at 10 gas stations in the Salt Lake area to gauge how much gas costs. The lowest we found for regular unleaded was $2.09 at a Flying J truck stop. The highest was $2.23 a gallon.
Matt Wayment, Driver: "I just know it's reality that they're going higher. So I've just been driving less and carpooling when I can."
But some people can't drive less, like taxi drivers, who generally fill up their tank daily.
Edison Soares, Yellow Cab Driver: "Six months ago, I was spending $25 to fill up the tank. Now we spend $40 to fill up the tank."
Shawky Taha, Ute Cab Driver: "We have to pay this from our pocket. The company doesn't pay for the gas. We pay for the gas. And in the meantime, the fare is still the same."
Taha says he takes home about $20 less a day, which quickly adds up.
Truck drivers are also feeling the financial effects, since diesel fuel is the priciest.
Gregory Hutchins, Truck Driver: "Per month, my paycheck might drop $60, something like that. You just add that up during the year, that's a lot of money to be coming out of your pockets."
Jesse Pedersen, Truck Driver: "Business-wise, fuel keeps going up, more trucks are going to get parked and less product is going to get shipped. That's the way we feel about it."
Pedersen says he finds gas stations where fuel is not imported, while Hutchins drives slower to save gas. But even these cost-saving measures don't help enough.
Jesse Pedersen: "What's going to happen is all the little companies are going to go out and the Wal-Marts and Swifts and Warner, all these big ones will stay in."
Gregory Hutchins: "I might have to give it up at some point, you know. But I've got to make a living, too."
Unfortunately, the prices aren't going down any time soon. The government has predicted a gallon of regular unleaded will jump to $2.35 by May.
