Josh Stephenson is a private taxi owner in the city of Saint John.
He – like everyone else who’s required to drive for work – is feeling the burn of the still-climbing cost of gas.
“I go out and make my fares every day and then I fill my car up,” he says.
“Costs a lot more to fill my tank up.”
Stephenson drives a Hyundai Sonata, a car that doesn’t exactly have a reputation as a gas guzzler.
He says it has cost about $100 to fill lately – and he has to fill it almost daily. Contracted by Vet’s Taxi in the city, he pays that cost himself.
He says gas alone takes up about a third of his income.
“I simply make less,” says Stephenson.
That’s the story for most workers who depend on driving, from delivery drivers to home care workers travelling from house to house.
Record high gas prices eat into profit at the end of the day.
“The delivery companies are not paying us more base pay even though fuel prices are insane,” says Jolyne LeBlanc, who drives for SkipTheDishes and DoorDash in Moncton.
“All we can do is try to fuel at stations that provide a discount when paying cash or offer points. At least that’s what I do.”
LeBlanc says she and other delivery drivers who do gig work need to be more selective on what orders they take, making sure the tip or fare is worth the cost of fuel.
“After all, we are not a charity,” she says.
Experts say there are still ways to save on gas — keeping up on vehicle maintenance, sticking to the speed limit and avoiding idling, to name a few.
“For every 20 minutes that you idle, you basically use a litre of fuel,” says Steve Olmstead with CAA.
Olmstead says it’s also wise to switch to summer tires as soon as conditions allow, limiting drag when you hit the road.
One obvious way to save at the pumps is to cut back on your fuel reliance altogether.
“You might want to invest and buy a hybrid,” Stephenson says with a laugh.
He’s not joking, though.
In fact, he just ordered one himself and, in six months, will be collecting cab fare in a hybrid after crunching the numbers and deciding it was best for business.
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