The United States relies on diesel for much of its transportation needs. As the nation’s number one energy source, the energy industry has made it clear that there is a shortage in diesel production.
- Decreased production
- Lack of drivers
- Diesel shortages as a result
Naturally, this increase in demand has led to rationing at some truck stops and higher prices for gasoline at the pump. This increase in demand, and lack of supply, has caused many states to ration fuel at truck stops to avoid potential shortages in the coming weeks.
Another big factor of this shortage is due to fewer drivers working for fuel haulers and transporting diesel across states and counties. With fewer drivers available, there’s an increased demand in the trucking industry that delivery can’t meet. Naturally, this inefficiency has caused higher prices at the pump and more often than not, rationing at truck stops across America.
How Diesel Rationing can Impact Your Everyday Life
Rationing is a strategy that can be used to decrease the number of people who need fuel. Unfortunately, it will also cause a spike in the price for those who are able to get a premium grade of fuel. Price may increase as a result of three factors:
- Due to the shortage of diesel fuels, prices for products and other goods will increase on the consumer side. People with lower incomes will be hurt most by increasing prices.
- Diesel is usually more expensive than gasoline, meaning transportation costs will invariably go up.
- It takes longer to refuel with diesel because it has less energy content per gallon. This invariably leads to the potential for loads not reaching their destinations on time (or ever).
In fact, analysts believe that the diesel shortages in 2022 will go all the way through 2023. With difficulties in prices also increasing, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to prepare for shortages that appear to be extending throughout the rest of this year.
What You Should be Doing Now to Prepare for a Possible Crisis
Preparing ahead of time for any amount of diesel shortage is the goal in 2022 and beyond. Due to the shortages in the U.S., and across the globe, we have already begun to see less and less available supplies reaching critical areas of our economy.
Some of these supplies that are not able to arrive at their destinations due to the diesel shortages include:
- Food shortages are becoming increasingly common throughout parts of the U.S.
- Vital supplies such as furniture, household appliances, and goods are also in short supply.
- Construction materials for building new commercial and private properties are also seeing a downward trend in being transported to desired locations.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of diesel users are truck drivers transporting goods across the U.S. and the world over. This period in the world will be one marked by businesses trying to get creative on how they will combat this issue moving forward.
As a company, the best advice is to keep all of your trucks topped off with diesel every chance you can get. One day, diesel will likely be rationed even further, so the window of opportunity can get narrow at different times throughout 2022 and beyond.
Conclusion – There’s still time to prepare
Whether you have diesel or not, it’s time to prepare for the continuing shortages that are coming to the U.S. and throughout most parts of the world.
The best any company can do is readjust to the decreasing supply of diesel in creative ways. It will become increasingly difficult to try and pivot to newer energy sources, but there will certainly come a time in the future when such discussions will need to happen.
Regardless of preconceived notions, the reality remains that diesel fuel will only become increasingly difficult to replace as we continue to figure out how to best combat this growing problem. The best any of us can do is prepare by having discussions on how else we can solve this problem.
After all, these are the times that require scientists, engineers, and other scientific or creative professionals to test out newer energy sources. Only then will we understand our options and how best to truly prepare before time runs out.
https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2022-02-09/analysis-after-oil-gas-and-coal-global-fuel-shortage-spreads-to-diesel
https://camperreport.com/diesel-shortage-2022/
https://www.getawaycouple.com/diesel-shortage/