Ride-Share And Delivery Drivers Feel The Pain As Massachusetts Gas Prices Hit All-Time High
BOSTON (CBS) - Gas prices are surging in Massachusetts, hitting an all-time high. Some drivers are now changing their routines.
"I went from approximately $100 a week in gas up to almost $150," said Lyft driver Ed Bushard, who pays for his own gas. Record high gas prices are eating away at his income.
This week Massachusetts had the highest average price per gallon AAA has ever recorded in its history. "If next week is over $5.00, I don't know," said Bushard. "I don't know at this point how we can make a living doing this."
"I have never seen such a skyrocketing increase as I have seen in the past week," AAA spokesperson Mary Maguire. "Whenever you have geo-political tensions surrounding a major oil producer like Russia, you send shockwaves through the entire gasoline and oil market," she said.
Add to that, more people hitting the roads as pandemic restrictions ease, driving up demand.
As of March 7th, the average price per gallon in Massachusetts was $4.16. That's up from $3.62 last week, $3.44 last month, and just $2.68 a year ago.
Delivery truck driver Nick Wilkinson said the high prices cut into his company's bottom line. He delivers grain and hay to farms and zoos across the state. "It is costing a lot more, and it's going to eat into the small amount of profits that we get," he said.
AAA offered the following tips for drivers:
- Tires & maintenance – keep your vehicle in top shape with routine inspections and in between, make sure your tires are properly inflated.
- Plan ahead – map your route before you go to minimize unnecessary turnarounds and backtracking. Avoid peak traffic times. Combine errands.
- Watch your speed – fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Reducing highway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
- Avoid excessive idling – a car engine consumes one quarter to one-half gallon of fuel per hour when idling, but a warm engine only takes around 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Where safe to do so, shut off your engine if you will be stopped for more than a minute.
- Use "fast pass" or "express" toll lanes – avoiding unnecessary stops or slowdowns on the highway helps save fuel.
- Avoid rush hour – take advantage of flex work hours to avoid commuting during peak traffic times.
- Anticipate road conditions – watch the traffic ahead and "time" stoplights to maintain momentum and avoid unnecessary stop and go.
- Regular vs. Premium – if regular gas is recommended for your vehicle, that's all you need.
- Shop around & save –there are apps that track where you can find the lowest prices.