YATESVILLE, Pa. — Thomas Grimes operates Calex ISCS in Yatesville, a trucking company that delivers produce from the west coast to grocery stores in our area.
Recently, customers have come to Grimes concerned about the diesel fuel supply levels and what that means for their grocery stores. But Grimes tells Newswatch 16 his fuel suppliers say there is no shortage.
"(They say) there is no shortage, that there are rumors. There's a lot of undocumented stuff that says we're in a crisis. But our vendors are reporting to us there is no crisis. There is enough," said Grimes.
But he says that doesn't mean there isn't cause for concern as fuel costs continue to rise.
Diesel fuel in Pennsylvania alone has gone up more than $2 in the last year, which adds up to a lot of money for a company like Calex that buys more than one million gallons of fuel a year.
"I think you can see the difference in the price today, which to all of us as consumers is going to mean more money in the store. When we go to buy something, it's going to cost more money," said Grimes.
Costs for every aspect of his business rise with the price of diesel fuel.
"Our labor costs have gone up dramatically since the beginning of COVID. The cost of the equipment has gone up dramatically since COVID. Part of it is labor. Part of it is the supply-chain problem. Demand, they can't produce it fast enough. Equipment needs to be ordered; It's 12 months out, some cases, more," added Grimes.
So, according to this trucking company, the concern is not if grocery stores have produce but how much the produce is going to cost.