In Pennsylvania, truck drivers are being pushed to their limits as skyrocketing diesel prices eat into their earnings, leaving many frustrated and struggling to keep their businesses running.
For Lamar Buckwalter, owner of Buckwalter Trucking LLC, the mounting cost of keeping his trucks on the road is testing both his patience and his wallet.
“They test the Jesus in me,” Buckwalter said of fuel prices. “They’re just ridiculously expensive.”
With diesel averaging about $6.56 a gallon across Pennsylvania, according to AAA, truckers are finding themselves forced to make tough financial decisions just to stay afloat, according to CBS 21. Buckwalter says he's become increasingly strategic about where he fills his tank, using mobile apps to compare prices and adjusting his travel plans in hopes of saving a few dollars.
“I would be paying $6.57 up in Carlisle. I can go down to Greencastle; it would be $6.59,” he said.
CBS writes that finding cheaper fuel is only part of the battle. Buckwalter says the amount he spends on diesel during a typical weeklong round trip has climbed sharply, cutting deeper into already tight profit margins.
And as a third-generation trucker with decades of experience, he says one of his biggest frustrat
