VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) — As the nation continues to see rising fuel prices, businesses are feeling the impact.
Steve Garcia owns CSS Driving School in Visalia.
For 25 years, he has been teaching students to navigate the roads.
Now he is left having to navigate his budget.
“Monthly, we are ending up close to $800-$1,200 a month in gas, and that doesn’t even include the oil change every 3,000 miles. When you are doing over 5,000 to 6,000 miles a month, that is an oil change every couple of weeks,” Steve says.
Keeping his business on the road is costing Steve about $50 each day on gas alone.
He is also trying to keep classes affordable.
But that has been a challenge for him and for customers.
“They are having to make decisions for their families, which is good, so this is not like a necessity, so we see a drop sometimes,” said Steve.
“It’s a little heartbreaking because we want to be able to help everybody, but with the gas being so high, it just makes it difficult,” says Steve’s wife, Jennifer Garcia.
The average gas price in Fresno has climbed about 30 cents since last week.
And while the war in Iran is impacting supply and demand across the globe… in California, refinery closures are also driving up the cost of fuel.
AAA says there are tips for drivers…
“If you get the right tire pressure, that could really save your fuel economy. Another thing we are reminding our members is to drive the speed limit,” says AAA spokesperson Doug Johnson. “Lastly, try to remove weight from your car.”
Local farmers say heavy equipment can burn more than 25 gallons per day.
Cities using similar machinery are also feeling the impact.
Project managers in Hanford say that during the 2008 price hike, project costs rose by 17%.
The uncertainty has caused some local business owners to make adjustments.
“We are just trying to hang in there and have faith, trying to make sure our overhead is as low as possible to keep these rates down,” says Steve. “If it continues to stay longer, then we end up having to make adjustments.”
Local cities like Tulare are already planning to review next year’s fuel budget.
Hanford is also paying 50 cents more per gallon for diesel, its primary fuel.
If the rise continues, the city will be left revisiting fuel funding.
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