Record-High Gas Prices and Rising Maintenance Costs Squeezing Professional Drivers – NBC 7 San Diego
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There is no getting around it – gasoline prices are skyrocketing and everyone is feeling the pain in their wallets, but some of the people who feel it the most are the ones who rely on their cars to make a living.
Limousine and ridesharing drivers have been expressing frustration for nearly two years because passengers refuse to wear masks in their cars and pandemic supply chain problems sometimes prevent them from performing vehicle repairs. Some told NBC 7 that rising gas prices could be the coffin nail for their businesses.
“We have to pay for everything for our vehicles – gas and oil, tires – and prices for everything have increased,” said Sam, a driver for the National Rideshare Company who lives in San Diego.
Sam said he had over 21,000 drives in the more than five years he was behind the wheel, but said this year could be his last.
The husband, father of four, said the rising inflation of the products he needs for a living is hitting him and other drivers hard, causing some to abandon the ride altogether. But Sam said his options were limited due to a disability caused by injuries to his shoulder and knee in a car accident.
He told NBC 7 he paid an additional $ 10,000 for a hybrid Honda sedan model he used for work, thinking the amount of money he would save on saving gas was worth the investment, saying he was passing $ 1,000 a month to refuel.
To make matters worse, the takeaway allowance of companies he drives for has fallen after the pandemic.
“It used to be about $ 1 a mile,” he said. “Now they are around 88 cents per mile.”
He hit the street at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and said he sometimes had to work more than 12-hour shifts, seven days a week just to break even.
“I have a lot of bills to pay,” he says. “We have to work twice as before [the pandemic] to make the same amount of money. “
The owner and driver of limo company Sal moved to San Diego for a fresh start after being forced to close his limo business in Phoenix, Ariz. After 16 years due to the pandemic, with gasoline prices leaving him running off the steam in California as well.
“It’s very difficult to operate and cover all expenses,” said Sal. “You hardly make any profit. Before the pandemic, fuel prices were high, but that’s absolutely crazy. “
He said he had to change his entire business model to stay afloat.
“I used to rely on conventions and conferences and corporate accounts, but now we have bars and nightclubs because I have no choice,” he said. “That’s something I don’t really want to do … so it was very difficult.”
Sal said the high cost of living and staying in business forced him to make great sacrifices.
“Right now, I’m not going anywhere, I’m not traveling, I’m not celebrating anything just to focus on paying bills and rebuilding what I’ve lost,” he said.
Both men came to the US in search of better opportunities for their families and said they pray that their hard work will soon pay off.
“I came here from Iraq 17 years ago,” said Sam. “So I work long hours to pay our bills and have a better life … I hope it all goes back because I believe we are a strong country and we could all make things and go back strong and better than before.”
Driven by soaring gasoline prices, Uber announced on Monday a partnership with the GetUpside and GasBuddy apps to offer driver discounts at some gas stations.
The average gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose eight-tenths of a cents to $ 4,637 on Tuesday for the seventh straight day, the highest since October 15, 2012 and less than nine cents below San Diego’s record high County of $ 4.725 was reached on October 8, 2012.
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