As New Jersey diesel prices soar, all customers will pay more
As the trucking cost-per-mile rises with the climb in diesel, customers end up paying more at the store.
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All drivers are paying the extra cost for fuel amid the conflict overseas, including the trucking industry.
AAA data shows that a gallon of regular gasoline in New Jersey rose about 90 cents from last year to this year. Diesel rose about $1.75, up to $5.40 per gallon on average in the state over the same timespan. News 12 saw prices as high as $5.89 along the New Jersey Turnpike on Monday afternoon.
That means receipts of over $300 for half a tank. Some truckers say it is up to $800-$900 for a bigger fill-up.
The NJ Motor Truck Association says that eventually, everyone is going to be paying this price in some way. They say fuel is second only to labor when it comes to trucking costs.
The supply chain works on a price-per-mile cost. As that rises with the climb in diesel, customers end up paying more at the store.
“You have a baked-in cost," said NJ Motor Truck Association executive director Chris Lutick. "As that cost increases, you're going to pass that along to the consumer. I know we had some good news today. Maybe crude, it's come down, we’ll see. But that's one of the unknowns - the fear - how long could this actually go on?”
AAA says the record price for New Jersey diesel was $6.41 per gallon back in May 2022, partially attributed to the Russia-Ukraine War.
And it’s not just trucks - freight trains and barges also rely on this expensive fuel to bring goods to shelves across America.
