SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Metro Detroiters are feeling the pain at the pump. For diesel-dependent businesses, costs are adding up fast, making it a challenge to keep trucks on the road.
Arturo Guzman, owner of Art's Residential Tree Service, travels across metro Detroit and relies heavily on diesel fuel to keep his fleet moving.
Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report below:
"This is the first time diesel's been six bucks," Guzman said.
7 News Detroit first spoke with Guzman in March, when he expressed concern about rising fuel costs and their potential impact on his business.
"We've got quite a few trucks and they're all diesels. The equipment and all that runs on diesel and gas, so it's like we don't want to raise the prices on anybody, especially now," Guzman said.
More than a month later, Guzman says he has managed to avoid raising prices for customers, but the financial strain is real.
"Paying our bills, but we're not really making any money — we're really not," Guzman said.
Watch our March report when we spoke with Arturo Guzman below:
According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas on Thursday was $4.30. Michigan's average was $4.58.
Michael Evans, president of Atlas Oil Company, says one reason Michigan is seeing higher prices compared to other states is a problem at an oil refinery in Indiana.
"It's had an upset. It's been offline and so that product that they're making there, some of that sees its way into the Great Lakes states and when that happens, nobody knows when it's coming back up. People start panic buying and prices go up in the short term," Evans said.
Evans says these kinds of price spikes typically don't last long.
"I'm hopeful that we'll see some relief on this. If the BP Whiting Refinery comes back up, I think regionally, we'll probably see a little bit of relief," Evans said.
Related video: Gas prices jump overnight in Michigan, hitting truckers and small businesses hard
Guzman says the frustration is widespread.
"Everybody's feeling it," Guzman said.
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