Downward Trend

Fuel prices have been making the headlines as they continue to drop each day.


I’m reminded daily by a text alert from my NASTC Fuel Card which tells me if it’s better to purchase fuel today or wait until tomorrow. Nearly each day its fallen 3 to 4 cents a gallon. My fuel card is comparable to many cards which the large fleets utilize. Many owner operators leased to these big carriers are seeing the huge discounts as prices continue to plummet. This time last year, I would have found it difficult to fathom these dramatic drops in price.


I believe these lower energy costs are good for the U.S. economy however my concern is that we will revert back to our old ways and quickly not give much attention to our energy consumption. I’m not just speaking about the trucking business but also about our recreational luxury and personal transportation energy usage. I’m beginning to see more motor homes traveling across the country. As spring and summer approach, with these fuel prices so low, we will tend to use our recreational and personal equipment at a higher level. When we purchase our next personal vehicle… will we take into account its fuel economy?


We’ve experienced these types of drops in fuel in the past and it always seems to leave us going back to our old ways and taking fuel for granted. When we are not mindful of this and the market reacts, we pay a hefty price. Today, the best thing we can do is to treat our fuel as if it costs well in excess of $4.00 a gallon.


Remember it all comes down to supply and demand so let’s do our part by continuing to cut the demand.