Trucking Jobs Blog

With fuel prices being such a big part of being a truck driver NTDJ decided to take another look into the world of gas prices. Are gas prices really between 3.89 – 3.29 nationwide right now? In which states can you find the cheapest prices? Why and where are the prices going in the future?

 

How did prices get this high?  In May 2008, average gas prices in the United States shot up to $4.00 a gallon, destroying records along the way. This was nothing new to American consumers, May 2008 end up benign a month of records that broke. Then with prices eventually falling to 1.61 in December 2008. Since then, prices have been inching toward the $4.00 mark again in 2011 coming close at 3.96 in January 2011.

 

No matter what Americans try to do to help with high gas prices there seems to be nothing we can do to avoid $5/ gallon. Gasoline is the bloodline that keeps us moving. Americans have an insatiable thirst for gasoline. Just look at the amount of traffic on roads and highways, and you’ll see that a severe gas shortage could potentially cripple the United States. Americans cruise around in their gas-guzzling friends nearly 3 trillion miles per year, according to the Motor and Equipment Manufacturer’s Association [source: MEMA ]. Annually, the demand for gas shoots up in the summertime, because of all of people that go on vacation. Higher demand translates into higher gas prices. In the summer because of the increase in travel gas companies produce cleaner-burning summer-grade fuels, which are more expensive to produce, can increase the price as well.

 

We found that gas prices are not always predictable. In the last couple of years we have seen very volatile changes in the gas of gasoline at the pump. Click on this link to take you to a Chart of the average price/gallon since 2007. These kinds of changes in the average price/gallon of gas make things interesting. How can gas in the last 4 years at one time be as high as $4 a gallon and at another be as low as $1.61. The more interesting thing is that this price change was in a matter of months. If you look around and read up on what the experts are saying you will hear from the Oil & Gas exploration industry that we are finding sources for oil & gas faster that we can use it. Yet this chart and other experts in the oil & gas field make it seem like we have too much of a demand for gas and we are outpacing our refinery capacity and prices are increasing because of it.

 

We know now that the price of gas is going to be going up. Even over the last couple of years with people more and more trying to do what they can to not consume as much as they did in the past to help make ends meet. We are starting to fear that there is nothing we can do about the ever-raising price of gas. We have done enough research to know now that there is more that enough gas to fuel the world for another century or more. The reason prices are as high as they are because we are ok with paying for gas at the price it is at. There is believed to be a thresh hold of $5 per gallon. Once we each $5 other resources start to become more affordable, the big one being natural gas. Once gas is at $5 a gallon the cost of converting vehicles into NGS powered vehicles is more justifiable. So in the mean time here is a map for all of our Truck Driver friends so they can make sure they are filling up in the right places along the way. Filling up in the wrong state could cost you $0.50 per gallon.

 

Our advice for the future is to ask more people to get involved. Share stories of your success, and more importantly of the tough times at the bump, so we do not forget of the time when gas prices were once below $1.00 a gallon.

With fuel prices being such a big part of being a truck driver NTDJ decided to take another look into the world of gas prices. Are gas prices really between 3.89 – 3.29 nationwide right now? In which states can you find the cheapest prices? Why and where are the prices going in the future?

 

How did prices get this high?  In May 2008, average gas prices in the United States shot up to $4.00 a gallon, destroying records along the way. This was nothing new to American consumers, May 2008 end up benign a month of records that broke. Then with prices eventually falling to 1.61 in December 2008. Since then, prices have been inching toward the $4.00 mark again in 2011 coming close at 3.96 in January 2011.

 

No matter what Americans try to do to help with high gas prices there seems to be nothing we can do to avoid $5/ gallon. Gasoline is the bloodline that keeps us moving. Americans have an insatiable thirst for gasoline. Just look at the amount of traffic on roads and highways, and you’ll see that a severe gas shortage could potentially cripple the United States. Americans cruise around in their gas-guzzling friends nearly 3 trillion miles per year, according to the Motor and Equipment Manufacturer’s Association [source: MEMA ]. Annually, the demand for gas shoots up in the summertime, because of all of people that go on vacation. Higher demand translates into higher gas prices. In the summer because of the increase in travel gas companies produce cleaner-burning summer-grade fuels, which are more expensive to produce, can increase the price as well.

 

We found that gas prices are not always predictable. In the last couple of years we have seen very volatile changes in the gas of gasoline at the pump. Click on this link to take you to a Chart of the average price/gallon since 2007. These kinds of changes in the average price/gallon of gas make things interesting. How can gas in the last 4 years at one time be as high as $4 a gallon and at another be as low as $1.61. The more interesting thing is that this price change was in a matter of months. If you look around and read up on what the experts are saying you will hear from the Oil & Gas exploration industry that we are finding sources for oil & gas faster that we can use it. Yet this chart and other experts in the oil & gas field make it seem like we have too much of a demand for gas and we are outpacing our refinery capacity and prices are increasing because of it.

 

We know now that the price of gas is going to be going up. Even over the last couple of years with people more and more trying to do what they can to not consume as much as they did in the past to help make ends meet. We are starting to fear that there is nothing we can do about the ever-raising price of gas. We have done enough research to know now that there is more that enough gas to fuel the world for another century or more. The reason prices are as high as they are because we are ok with paying for gas at the price it is at. There is believed to be a thresh hold of $5 per gallon. Once we each $5 other resources start to become more affordable, the big one being natural gas. Once gas is at $5 a gallon the cost of converting vehicles into NGS powered vehicles is more justifiable. So in the mean time here is a map for all of our Truck Driver friends so they can make sure they are filling up in the right places along the way. Filling up in the wrong state could cost you $0.50 per gallon.

 

Our advice for the future is to ask more people to get involved. Share stories of your success, and more importantly of the tough times at the bump, so we do not forget of the time when gas prices were once below $1.00 a gallon.

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As a truck driver, purchasing your own truck is a big step. You are now responsible for making sure your truck runs the way it should and if it doesn’t, you pay for the repairs. When purchasing a truck, it is important to be aware of the condition the truck is in.

If you are purchasing a used truck, you will want to know its history. Ask if it has been in any accidents and if it has, what was the extent of the damage and what repairs were made. To get an accurate history, ask for a salvage title. The title will inform you of most accidents, repairs and un-repairable damage on the vehicle.

However, one aspect often overlooked when purchasing a vehicle is flood damage. Flood damage will not always show up on a salvage title, because not all insurance companies require claims to be made for flood damage. Although, flood damage, depending on the extent, is not usually covered by after-market warranties and can potentially eat away at your truck and cost you precious money in repairs. So, if there is no record of flood damage, how are you supposed to know if the truck you are looking at has been damaged?

In some cases, water damage is easy to spot. It is often the same as water damage in a house; there may be a waterline on the exterior or the interior of the truck. This damage can be very noticeable or hardly visible at all and might look like mud that has been caked on the truck. Another sign of water damage is the smell. If there is a mildew smell in the interior of the truck, there is a strong possibility of water damage somewhere.

When checking for signs of water damage, be sure to fully inspect the truck under the hood. It is a fact that electrical units that have been damaged by water don’t usually work properly. Just like when checking the interior and exterior of the truck, look for water marks. The marks in this area of the truck are usually shown in the form of rust on the engine, transmission, or other components.

Owning your own truck is a great opportunity for truck drivers and can help in boosting your own business. Before buying a truck, be sure you know exactly what you are getting into. If at all possible, get the truck inspected before making the purchase.

For great opportunities in the trucking industry to Lease, Own, or Drive Company visit National Truck Driving Jobs for more information.