There’s no question that Donald Trump’s massively unpopular war with Iran is costing taxpayers billions and spiking oil and gas prices. But the consequences of higher fuel prices reverberate far beyond the gas pump. Diesel prices are approaching record highs, spiking 50% since Trump started this war just over a month ago. Every day, hundreds of thousands of trucks carrying around three-quarters of the nation’s total freight fill up on diesel. Tractors, excavators, and bulldozers all run on diesel, forcing farmers, miners, and construction crews to make difficult decisions as fuel costs eat into their profits. Their business customers are even starting to pay higher prices for shipments. Fresh food distributors and the U.S. Postal Service are already passing fuel surcharges along to Americans. As costs continue to trickle down, everything from new home builds to consumer products will cost more. Meanwhile, Americans are already dealing with GOP policies that have led to mass layoffs, zero job growth, and high prices on everything from health insurance premiums to electric bills – all so Trump and Republicans can give billionaires more tax breaks. Now, Trump has no plan to get us out of this huge mess. Read more about the cost of Trump’s war with Iran beyond the gas pump:
TRUMP’S IRAN WAR SPIKES COSTS ACROSS EVERY INDUSTRY AS DIESEL SKYROCKETS
- 🚚 Diesel prices have spiked 50% since the start of Trump’s war on Iran, touching every industry across the country that relies on shipping.
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- 🚚 Trucks moved roughly 73% of the nation’s freight by weight in 2024.
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- 🚚 Small businesses selling products ranging from canned beer to tires are less likely to have integrated supply chains, and are even more vulnerable to shipping cost increases as they face price hikes at multiple steps throughout the manufacturing and distribution process.
- 🚛 More than 75% of the commercial trucking industry uses diesel engines; higher prices are eroding profits and forcing truckers to pass-on higher costs. Small fleet owners, as well as the roughly 450,000 American independent owner-operators have been hit the hardest.
- 🚜 Farmers rely on diesel to run farm equipment like tractors and combines, and to ship produce to markets.
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- 🚜 Trucks transport 83% of America’s agricultural products and 92% of dairy, fruit, vegetables and nuts.
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- 🚜 For every 10% rise in fuel prices, food prices could go up 2–3%, according to the Independent Grocers Alliance.
- ⛽️ Businesses are paying higher fuel surcharges for shipments due to inflated diesel prices.
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- 🥑 Fresh food distributors, which must refrigerate and ship their products quickly and are more dependent on trucking, are adding fuel surcharges to highly perishable foods.
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- 📬 The U.S. Postal Service is already imposing a temporary 8% fuel surcharge beginning on April 26.
- 🛻 Other industries that rely on diesel to move heavy materials or operate specialized machinery like mining and construction, face higher costs that could be passed down to consumers.
HEADLINES
- The New York Times: Diesel Is a Bigger Problem for Consumers Than Gasoline.
- The Wall Street Journal: $5 Diesel is Crushing Truckers. It Will Soon Be Felt Across the Economy.
- CNN: America’s long-haul truckers were already struggling. Then came $5 diesel
- WDEF: Diesel Prices Affect Consumer Goods
- The New York Times: As Iran War Pushes Up Gas Prices, Fresh Food Distributors Add Fuel Surcharges
- PBS: Soaring gas prices and supply chain disruptions drive up costs across the economy
- The Independent: US diesel tops $5 a gallon in worrying sign for shipping, food costs and construction
- The Patriot-News: Postal Service seeks temporary surcharge as diesel and gas prices soar
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