“It’s a huge impact on the cost of living, the cost of eating and it makes industrial customers less competitive in the world market,” said Woodland Truck Lines President Darlene Johnson.
In 2008, Johnson said Woodland Truck Lines was spending about $20,000 every two weeks to fill up its fleet. Today, it’s costing them nearly $60,000 every other week.
Woodland Truck Lines now has a 37.5 percent fuel surcharge in place, which is a two-and-a-half percent increase from a couple of weeks ago. And, Johnson pointed out, that charge usually ends up being passed onto consumers.
“When we haul a load of food into Fred Meyer or Safeway, they have to pass that [fuel charge] on and the food cost on [to] some low-value items – that (amount) can be huge, even 100 percent sometimes,” said Johnson.
At Vancouver-based Mitchell Bros. Truck Line Inc., a fuel surcharge as been considered a normal part of doing business for years.
“We’ve had a surcharge since the 1970’s,” said Operations Manager Dave Braman.
Established in 1937, Mitchell Bros. assess their surcharge each month to reflect the change in fuel costs.
“If fuel prices go up, our prices go up, if they go down, the surcharge goes down,” explained Braman.
Johnson echoed that statement, adding that as long as we continue to demand items that aren’t made, stocked and distributed in our community, consumers are going to end up paying the extra costs to get them.
“If you’ve got it, at sometime in its life it was on a truck,” said Johnson. “The picture on your wall, the apple you put on your mouth, the desk you’re sitting at.”
