BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) Diesel drivers in Kern County are feeling new pressure at the pump after prices rose again overnight, pushing fill-ups into the hundreds of dollars for some local motorists and raising concerns about ripple effects on the cost of goods.
On Monday, the average price of diesel in Kern County was $8.04 per gallon.
AAA spokesperson Kandace Redd said that price is “up $0.36 from last week and$2.89 from this time last year.”
Diesel prices top $8 a gallon in Bakersfield, adding stress for drivers (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
For Bakersfield local Benjamin Brandenberry, the higher prices are already changing how often he drives.
Asked how much it would cost to fill his tank, Brandenberry said, “Oh gosh I haven’t done it since it’s been empty yet – with the new prices its over two hundred bucks.”
He said the cost is also keeping his vehicle parked more often.
“It definitely makes me keep it in park a heck of a lot more. So, I definitely don’t just try and go out on random trips,” Brandenberry said.
Even drivers who do not use diesel could still see impacts, according to Kern County farmer Jason Giannelli, who said higher fuel costs can show up in the price of everyday items because of transportation expenses.
“If they go to the stores and everything else, you’re going to see a higher cost because of delivery of the trucking,” Giannelli said.
Diesel prices top $8 a gallon in Bakersfield, adding stress for drivers (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Giannelli said trucking is essential to agriculture, moving crops from the field to processors, and rising diesel prices can strain the agriculture supply chain.
“Because trucking is big in agriculture. I mean that’s what hulls everything. That’s what hulls everything to the processors,” he said.
He said the effects extend beyond food.
Diesel prices top $8 a gallon in Bakersfield, adding stress for drivers Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“I mean it’s going to affect the supply chain all the way down. I mean not just your crop but everybody’s supply chain,” Giannelli said.