Rising Gas Prices Hurting Delivery Drivers
Gas prices are on the rise across the nation and the South Plains. We're all starting to feel the pain at the pump, but its especially hurting those who drive for a living. KLBK's Michaela MacDonald has more.
-->By: Michaela MacDonald
Updated: February 18, 2013
When gas prices get this high, delivery drivers take a hit. Restaurants we spoke with say many drivers are responsible for their own gas or they get a very small stipend to help them fill up their tanks.
"We get 25 cents per run and no that doesn't change," said John Warren, who has worked in food delivery for five years.
He says at his restaurant the drivers get a 25 cent stipend per food run, no matter the price of gas.
"Yeah it does hurt us," said Warren.
Warren says the worst part of being a delivery driver when gas prices go up is that tips go down.
"I think that is just due to people are spending that money for tips in their gas tanks as well, so we don't see as much tips," said Warren. "We really depend on the tips to go into our gas tanks so we can get the food out to everybody
Casey Lindsey at the Quiznos on South University says even though deliveries are only about 15% of his business, this spike hurts.
"It also affects us because we pay a fuel surcharge on all of the products that are brought in on our trucks," said Lindsey.
But he says Quiznos found a way to recoup some of the money after the last big gas spike in 2008.
"The increase in gas prices has caused Quiznos to go to a graduated delivery fee schedule where we used to be just a flat rate of $2 anywhere we deliver now we do $2,$3 or $5 depending on how far away from the store it is," said Lindsey.
Lindsey says that his drivers get a portion of that delivery fee and their tips to put towards gas, but if the prices keep rising both he and the drivers will have to eat some of the costs.
