Gas price hits a seven-year high shortage of fuel threatens to hamper July 4th weekends

Gas prices hit a seven-year high as has stations across the country face fuel shortages. This comes at a time when more than 40 million Americans make preparations to hit the road for the Fourth of July weekend.

According to data from the American Automobile Association, the $3.09 per gallon of regular unleaded gas on Monday is reportedly the highest price for gas that Americans have to pay ahead of the holiday weekend since 2014.  The association forecasts show that 43.6 million Americans will travel by car over the weekend, which is the most for this year so far.

“Today, 89 percent of US gas stations are selling regular unleaded for $2.75 or more. That is a stark increase over last July 4 when only a quarter of stations were selling gas for more than $2.25,” said Jeanette McGee, a AAA spokesperson. “Road trippers will pay the most to fill up for the holiday since 2014.”

AAA says that the prices at gas pumps will continue to see a steep rise through the summer. The skyrocketing price coincides with surging demand as Americans emerge from the pandemic. Additionally, a shortage in tank truck drivers has been observed, leading to the unavailability/shortage of fuel in various pockets of the country, according to Patrick DeHaan, spokesperson of GasBuddy.

Reports depict that the delay of shipments have resulted in stations running dry or dangerously low on fuel in the Pacific Northwest, Nother California, Colorado, and Iowa as well as Indianapolis, Columbus, and Ohio

“It used to be an afterthought for station owners to schedule truck deliveries. Now it’s job No. 1,” Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks prices for AAA, as reported by CNN

“What I’m worried about for July is the increased demand works out to about 2,500 to 3,000 more deliveries needed every day. There just aren’t the drivers to do that.”