High gas prices hitting RV transport industry

by Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

Tools

Hoosier RV Transport in Bristol and its independent drivers are being hit hard by high diesel gas prices

Hoosier RV Transport in Bristol and its independent drivers are being hit hard by high diesel gas prices. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

BRISTOL — Prices at the pump are still skyrocketing around the country. Diesel fuel is nearing $4 a gallon, and that's creating big problems for people who make their living using diesel.

“It’s really affecting our industry with fuel prices, but especially our owner-operators,” said Sami Colby.

Colby owns Hoosier RV Transport in Bristol. In her 14 years there, she has never seen diesel costs so high, and those rising costs are lowering her profits.

"We lease on approximately 150 to 200 independent owner-operators and we're at single digits as far as the money that we have to make our bills,” she said. “There's almost no profit margin in this anymore.”

The company has to work with the rates set by the RV dealers and manufacturers networks to figure how much they'll pay their drivers to deliver those RVs.

For drivers out on the road it’s becoming somewhat of a juggling act to keep their costs down, pay their bills and still turn a profit at the same time.

"It’s costing right around half of their pay to go out and come back,” said Harley Vollrath, a dispatcher and former driver. “That's not even paying their overhead, their truck payments, their insurance and so forth.”

"Obviously you have to cut back and then you know, the cost of maintaining the truck, those costs are also rising, and it just never ends,” said transport driver Clyde Harshman.

“I would have liked to buy a new truck within the last year or two,” said transport driver Steven King. “I can't do that because I can't afford the payments plus all the other expenses. So I'm just making my old truck keep doing the job."

Late Thursday morning one of the drivers for Hoosier RV Transport reported diesel selling for $7.11 a gallon on the Toll Road in eastern Ohio.

Tuesday, Apr 15 at 10:09 PM Pete wrote ...

The going pay rate for toters is $1.30 within the U.S and 1.40 to Canada. It still costs the half of the brut pay to make the run. If drivers would quit their work for only 2 weeks I an guarantee the dealers would pay more to get trailers delivered. But apparently nobody cares to do so.

Sunday, Apr 13 at 12:20 PM Virg wrote ...

If the RV Companies would allow sleeping in the RV instead of renting a Motel room, that would help.

Thursday, Mar 13 at 8:54 PM Anonymous wrote ...

well the toter that takes the camper to the dealer only gets like 1.10 amile thats one way ! and the house tralers only get .90 oneway !!!!!

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

Comments are moderated and will not appear on this story until after they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting.

WSBT and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

WSBT Weather

icon
Current Temp 55
°
More Weather
More On Demand

Stock Quotes

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Tonight On WSBTFull Schedule

7.00
Wheel of Fortune
7.30
Jeopardy!
8.00
NCIS
9.00
The Mentalist
10.00
Without A Trace
11.00
WSBT News
11.35
Late Show with David Letterman

Question of The Day

How are you enjoying the unseasonably warm weather?

E-mail your comments. We'll pick some to read during WSBT News at 5:30.