‘It is killing us’: Truck driver says friends had to find different jobs due to diesel costs

OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) – A Nebraska man who has driven a company truck for more than 25 years said rising diesel costs have him fearing for his livelihood.

“The gas prices, the fuel prices, man, it is killing us,” trucker Dave Turner said.

Americans rely on truckers to move goods every day, but drivers are concerned about the future of the industry.

“It’s astronomical and almost makes us nonexistent,” Turner said.

Diesel prices

Diesel prices reached an all-time record high of about $6.50 a gallon last month. Prices have remained in the same range since then.

Turner said rising fuel costs have already changed how drivers get from one destination to the next.

“A lot more time sitting and waiting for the company to be able to actually find decent routes for us as far as having to route us to the cheapest places to be able to get fuel,” Turner said.

Most company drivers have help finding lower prices.

Independent drivers

Asiwome Faiti, another company driver, said not all truckers are feeling the impact equally.

“You don’t have the capacity to hedge your fuel, so those are the people suffering, the mom and pop small businesses,” Faiti said.

Independent drivers are paying out of pocket to fill their tanks, and the rising cost is taking some of them out of the business.

“I have actually several of my friends, close friends that are independent truckers, and out of about 13 of them, seven of them have already had to shut down their trucks and find different jobs,” Turner said.

According to federal transportation data, trucks carried about 65% of U.S. freight by weight in 2024.

Faiti said he wants to be able to continue driving.

“All I can say is we pray that this crisis is over soon,” Faiti said.