Diesel costs affect truckers

Vacationers aren't the only motorists with gas pains.

The nation's truckers, having seen the cost of diesel jump by 50 cents a gallon since mid-April alone, are seeing their profits evaporate because of all-time high fuel prices.

The huge overhead is forcing independent drivers and large trucking firms alike to leave their rigs parked for days at a time — if they can afford it.

It's a crazy Catch-22, trucking officials say. Owner-Operators spend thousands of dollars a week on fuel, while the sky-high prices are now the No. 1 expense of many larger haulers, outpacing payroll.

"There's a lot of obstacles for a truck driver making a living right now," said Bill Campbell of the Port Truckers Association in Charleston.

The nationwide average cost for a gallon of diesel is now $4.55, according to AAA. Twelve months ago, diesel was 60 percent cheaper at an average $2.80 a gallon. Most rigs, except for the latest models, average only 6 1/2 miles a gallon, Campbell said. It doesn't take long to burn hundreds of dollars.

Read more in tomorrow's editions of The Post and Courier.