Record-Setting Diesel Prices Strain Labor Day Travelers in Pennsylvania
Travelers and campground owners in Pennsylvania are grappling with high diesel costs this Labor Day weekend, with some adjusting their plans to manage expenses.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —
Labor Day weekend travel is being impacted by rising diesel prices, leaving travelers and campground owners in Pennsylvania struggling with increased costs.
John DePhillips, who traveled from Louisiana hauling a camper, said the journey has been expensive.
“It took over a thousand bucks just to get here from Louisiana,” he said. “Two days traveled… pulling this camper, you know. I mean, it’s just ridiculous. Inflation is really terrible right now as far as, fuel prices and even groceries and everything.”
According to AAA, the average price of diesel in Pennsylvania this Labor Day is $6.11 per gallon, more than 20 cents higher than the national average of $5.90. DePhillips said he noticed the prices climbing as he got closer to Pennsylvania.
“We found a few places where it was $4. But the closer we got, 4-something a gallon and the closer we got here, it got up to $5.99 to $6. I think the most I paid was like $6.49,” he said.
Mill Bridge Village & Camp Resort, which hosts up to 500 visitors from the tri-state area and beyond during busy holiday weekends, has seen the effects of these rising costs firsthand.
“All these big motorhomes you’re seeing, most of them are all diesel pushers. And I know that’s got to be killing them. It’s as you know, it’s over $6, so. But we’re still getting them in here. Plenty of them,” said Ed Linzy, owner of Mill Bridge Village & Camp Resort.
With Pennsylvania’s diesel prices well above the national average, Linzy said the campground has noticed a shift in its clientele.
“When the gas prices really spike, it seems like a lot of the local people here that would normally be going to the shore are kind of coming and staying with us just so they can get out, use our camper still, and maybe not have to fill up the tank,” Linzy said.
DePhillips said the high cost of fuel has forced him to make sacrifices.
“My truck is around $300 to fill up, double what it was a few months ago,” he said. “I might have to do it out of grits and eggs for a week or so, you know what I’m saying.”
Linzy added that the situation is challenging for everyone.
“I don’t think it’s good for anybody. Maybe the people selling oil, but, it’s not helping me out at all, that’s for sure. And I’m sure it ain’t helping these guys out. So, yeah, it’d be nice when it comes down,” he said.