Up Front

Oil Prices Fuel Concerns

As crude oil prices reach record highs, the trucking industry is left wondering just how high oil (and thus diesel fuel) prices can fly. The answer is, no one knows, but the sky seems to be the limit.

We talked to dozens of drivers at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville March 31-April 2 and asked them what was the one issue that most concerned them. In virtually every instance, the first words out of their mouth were “the cost of fuel.” To find out more about what your fellow over-the-road professionals have to say on the subject, turn to the “Say What?” column on page 36 of this issue.

Fuel surcharges help ease some of the pain of rising prices, but many owner-operators say they arrive too little and too late to prevent the financial sting. Even company drivers are concerned about the cost of crude because they know higher prices can negatively impact the economy, their company and, eventually, their own pocketbooks.

There’s not much any of us can do about the situation except shop for the best price, conserve fuel whenever possible and hope that the old adage— what goes up must come down—still holds true.