Forum 4/5/mike1st/mark2nd
Gasoline prices have gone up an average of 15 cents a gallon over the last few weeks, partly due to problems at oil refineries in Northern California. Besides hitting commuters in the pocketbook, the hikes also hit the bottom lines of many local companies and entrepreneurs who depend on their vehicles to conduct business. So the Business Journal asks:
How has the rise in gasoline prices affected you?
Manny Cukier
Owner
Manny’s Famous Moving Co.
The fact that I use diesel fuel in my trucks versus gas means I haven’t seen that much of an increase in expenses for my moving business. But personally, it’s been more expensive for me to come to work. I’m going to have a good attitude about it. However, they say this is because of the fires they had at the refineries, and that the prices would be raised accordingly and will come down soon. But there was fuel already in the tanks at gas stations; why can’t we get the old gas at the old rate? How come they raised the prices immediately?
Nino Zannarrini
Dispatcher
L.A. Checker Cab Co.
It’s devastating. With the gas prices going up, they’re taking more money out of your earnings. It’s a major expense to operate a cab, and 10 to 20 percent of your gross goes to gas. So now it’s even more than normal. It’s all political to me. I say, let Iraq sell their oil so prices can go down.
Larry Waldinger
President and Driver
Rocket Express Limousine Service
It doesn’t really impact us. Gas is not a big expense in our overall budget. I actually feel that gas prices should be raised anyway, so that some of the people who drive big, expensive, gas-guzzling cars should pay more for it. Especially people in sport utility vehicles.
Warren Halprin
Manager
Diamond Towing
It’s lousy. The gas prices are getting crazy. We use tons of gas. It’s a big expense for us, usually $1,600 a month. Now it’ll probably be like $2,000. We’re waiting for the prices to go down again, and they say it’ll be a couple weeks, but I don’t know.
Guy Blume
Director of Operations
Project Angel Food
We have different ways that we pay for mileage. Some of our drivers use our vans, others use their own cars, and we pay them a set fee for mileage. The ones we pay mileage for are complaining that they’re paying higher prices than before. Some feel that it’s not adequate compensation for the higher price of gas. In terms of our own fleet, I haven’t received the bills yet, since the rise in prices, so I don’t know. But I have noticed it myself, with my own car.
Arthur P. Ruben
Action Messenger Service
Our drivers work on a commission basis, and they are experiencing an increase of over 35 cents per gallon. Gas that was $1.09 a gallon is now $1.49, and it has a real impact on the drivers’ ability to provide for themselves and their families. They’re losing about $50 a week because of this. We don’t want to jump to conclusions and say we’re raising our prices. We’ll bear with it in the short term.
