BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Diesel prices in Alabama hit a record high of $6.15 a gallon last month, according to AAA, and the increase is affecting food truck owners.
A year ago, diesel in Alabama averaged $3.42 a gallon. It is now nearly $3 more per gallon.
Anthony Lee drives for Sweetie Heatie, a food truck owned by his daughter, Kourtney Griffen.
“The diesel, it is ridiculous. The diesel is up now to $6. It takes away from your livelihood,” Lee said.
Squeezed at the pump(WIS)Fuel costs add up
For a truck with a 30-gallon tank, the price increase amounts to roughly $75 more every time it is filled up, or about $300 more a month in fuel costs. That estimate is based on AAA’s year-over-year price data and a standard 30-gallon fuel tank. Actual costs vary depending on a truck’s tank size and how often it is used.
Food trucks typically rely on diesel for two separate purposes: towing the kitchen trailer or truck to each event, and running an onboard generator that powers fryers, refrigerators, lighting and other equipment. That means many owners are paying for fuel twice over — once for the road, and again to keep the kitchen running.
Victoria Hamilton owns Big Mama’s Barbecue Empire.
“A lot of people see food trucks and don’t realize how much the cost is just to bring them out here. It’s your food cost, your supplies, and then you have the gas. You have trailers like mine that I pull, and those require to have gas in both the trucks and the generators,” Hamilton said.
Kourtney Griffen owns Sweetie Heatie food truck. She also tows her kitchen to every event and needs gas to run the generator.
“Our pickup truck that pulls the truck is run off diesel. And so it’s every, I feel like every event that we do, we’re filling up,” Griffen said.
“So you’re talking about being in the hole a few hundred dollars off just gas alone to pull up to an event. And there’s some trucks out here that don’t even make enough to cover that gas cost on one event,” Hamilton said.
Diesel prices in Alabama hit a record $6.15 a gallon in September, nearly $3 more per gallon than a year ago, according to AAA — and the spike is squeezing local food truck owners who rely on fuel for both towing and running their equipment. Local vendors say rising costs are cutting into profit margins, but both say their businesses are staying open as they lean on community support.(WBRC)Businesses feeling the strain
Sweetie Heatie is a three-generation, family-owned business, run by Griffen, her mother and her grandmother. It started as a home bakery before growing into a food truck less than a year ago.
Griffen said the cost of fuel is easy to overlook when starting a new business.
“You don’t really calculate that expense,” Griffen said. “You think about everything else, but the small things like the diesel, you really don’t think about it.”
She said the business has leaned on family support to help cover rising costs.
“We asked a lot of family members to invest and to trust in us to know that we’re building something,” Griffen said. “Without the help of family members, we would have been totally lost.”
Griffen said some events barely break even once fuel costs are factored in.
“We’re spending $300 to possibly make $500,” she said.
Owners say they’re staying in business
Some owners say the fuel costs mean cutting costs elsewhere or using their own profits to cover the gas bill. Hamilton and Griffen said their businesses are not going anywhere.
“We’re just starting out. We want to see another year, and another year,” Griffen said.
Hamilton and Griffen said the best way to help is by supporting local food trucks. Griffen said that includes booking food trucks for private events and encouraging event organizers to keep vendor fees affordable.
“Love on your food trucks,” Griffen said. “Make those fees a little bit more affordable for us so we can come out and build a tighter community.”
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Dining and Cooking