Truck Drivers Struggle with Soaring Diesel Prices

0:00It's April 2nd, from your city to your ears. This is Vancouver News today, powered by AI. Truck driver Josh Pearson out of Abbotsford is getting hammered by skyrocketing diesel prices with costs roughly doubling since early this year, hauling massive RV trailers in heavy gear across British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, his weekly Phillips jump from 220. Dollars to $400, that's eating deep into his paycheck just to stay on the road. To fight back, Pearson grabbed the more fuel-efficient ride for daily commutes, and now scouts gas stations like a hawk on long hauls, timing stop said. Cheaper spots. He's even crossing into the US a few times a week for bargain diesel, to the point border guards joke about his fuel runs. It's hitting his bottom line hard, with fuel now gobbling up about 30% of his earnings, but he's scared to jack up rates and risk losing, contracts. Also Vancouver drivers are feeling it too, with gas topping 218 cents per liter this week.

1:01Economists like UBC's Warner Antwiler, blame Middle East conflicts choking the straight of Hormuz, a key oil route. If disruptions drag on, expect price hikes rippling to groceries, fertilizer, and beyond. Fueling inflation that could spike interest rates in slam, variable mortgages, even non-profits like cancer drivers are strained, bumping volunteer reimbursements from 52 cents to 55 cents per kilometer for medical. Rides, yet many drivers still cover costs out of pocket. With the man surging towards 74,000 trips a year by 2030, these rising prices are testing everyone's limits across the board.