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Gas Stations Running Out of Fuel as 4th of July Nears

Fill up now.

Gas shortages and rising fuel prices continue to plague the country. It will be noticed, perhaps, more than ever when millions of citizens flock to the roads for the Fourth of July weekend.

Fuel outages have already been found at gas stations in states such as California, Colorado and Iowa, CNN Business reported. The number of stations experiencing shortages is expected to grow.

The cause of shortages cannot be linked to increased demand or production rates. Rather, it can be attributed to a shortage of oil tank truck drivers, says Tom Kloza, the global head of energy analysis for the Oil Price Information Service.

Transportation joins the long list of industries encountering labor shortages during the pandemic. What makes the oil tank truck driving business unique is the special qualifications a driver needs making it harder to find qualified drivers.

Similar to the gas debacle from May caused by the Colonial Pipeline hack, Kloza said drivers may feel the need to purchase gasoline more frequently and in greater quantities.

AAA predicts nearly 48 million people will travel across America leading up to and during its birthday weekend. About 44 million of them will do so via the roads.

According to GasBuddy, the national average fuel price for the holiday weekend will sit at approximately $3.11 per gallon. That number tops last year’s Independence Day weekend prices by 93 cents.

If there is any hope to be had regarding the issue, GasBuddy predicts a national average decrease later this fall. Expect average summer prices to stay north of $3.

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