CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The average price of gas is on the decline. AAA reported across the U.S. a regular gallon of gas cost an average of $4.72. That’s compared to $4.84 just a week ago.
Diesel gas prices are also declining but at a much slower rate.
A gallon of diesel will now cost you $5.67 on average. That’s only nine cents cheaper than last week.
At a Black Food Truck Friday event, many owners talked about the challenges high diesel prices are giving them.
"I made good money during the pandemic during that but now like the price of food now it's tough," Will Pettiford, the owner and operator of Backyard Flames, said.
Pettiford came into Charlotte from Greensboro to participate in a food truck contest.
"We actually host a Black Food Truck Friday every Friday," Cathay Dawkins, the CEO and Founder of Black Business Owners of Charlotte, said.
The organization partnered with Duke's Mayo Bowl to sponsor the food truck competition.
"We want to sustain the economic impact that we drive for Black-owned businesses," Dawkins said.
The event is a welcome centralized event for food trucks who must adjust how far they go for events or where they stop in the city.
“It easily takes us $150 every two days and that’s just around the city limits," Pettiford said. "Today we filled up and it cost me $149 to fill up and get down here from Greensboro. I’m on a half a tank right now."
Pettiford said he'd half to fill up his tank when he returned home.
And on top of gas prices, food prices are also continuing to rise for these owners. It’s a steep change from the pandemic days when it paid to operate a food truck.
Pettiford has to raise prices by around 40%.
"They're not mad at us being the price have changed," he said. "They pretty much understand because they see that gas is high. They see that we still gotta make a living. We still gotta buy the food and find workers to cook the food.
A year ago diesel was just $3.25. Although diesel prices are slowly dropping Pettiford is grateful for the lower prices and loyal customers.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.