A tractor at Fieldberg Farms (Ross Lavigne/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

‘A disaster with the gas prices:’ Delivery drivers, farmers, struggling with sky-high fuel prices

Mar 11, 2022 | 5:49 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- As gas prices soar to record heights, pain at the pump is evident from cars to SUV’s to big rig trucks .

Feeling that pain more than ever lately is Donna Dirk, a delivery driver with Leave it to Lucy. She’s been driving for eight year and says out of all those years, this year in particular has been tough..

” It’s a nightmare for a lot of drivers. you know and plus the pandemic did a lot to us as well but yeah, it is just a disaster with the gas prices,” she said.

On a regular work day, Dirk handles several dozen deliveries, from trips to the pharmacy, to groceries for her clients.

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Responsible for paying her own gas, Dirk said she would normal spend around $20 a day in fuel for her Kia Soul. But lately that expense has increased to around $45 a day. The jump in fuel prices, she said ultimately impacts how much she brings home at the end of the night.

“It takes a big chunk out of it,” she said

Now, the sky high costs are making her question if being a delivery driver is worth it.

“Oh definitely these past couple of weeks I have really been looking it over and thinking, ‘Is it worthwhile?”‘, she said noting tips from clients have been helpful at getting her though.

Drivers aren’t the only ones feeling the impact. Farmers are also feeling the pain at the pumps.

Harold Fieldberg is the owner of Fieldberg Farms. He said the record high gas prices are coming at a time when farmers are already feeling gut-punched due to the poor seasons they have had due to drought.

“Farming right now is sitting just on the balancing board of surviving or going bankrupt,” he said.

He said fuel is essential to farming, from powering machines, to transport. This year he said the rising cost in fuel is going to drive farmers debt further, and that is going to trickle down to the consumer.

” The only pocket we can reach into is your pocket, and your pocket and whoever is watching. They are going to have to pay for the food, and the fisherman who can’t afford to put fuel on their boats and the farmers can’t afford to put diesel in their tractors. Fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizer is made out of natural gas, and three four years ago it was $400 a ton and then it went to $700 and now it is $1200 to $1400.”

Those costs are steep for a family farm spanning four generations in Alberta.

” We are about to lose four generations of work and hard work by every member of the family. It’s just about ready to lose it,” he said.

Analysts are predicting gas prices are only expected to rise even further, providing little relief to people like Donna and Harold.