According to the /*American Automobile Association*/ (AAA) prices have jumped an average of 17 cents a gallon in just the past month.
Frank Buono of South Philadelphia can't seem to get away from the price squeeze. Whether he's filling his family's minivan…
"At the pump right now, we're seeing a normal fill-up go from say $45 to easily $70," he said.
… or running his business, Intermodal Container Corporation. Like many trucking companies, Intermodel has added a 30% fuel surcharge for its customers.
"So for every dollar of transportation, you're actually paying an additional 30 cents for fuel surcharge. That price just gets passed on down the line eventually to me and you as a consumer," said Buono.
According to AAA, gas prices are at 30-month high.
"This week in Philadelphia, we added about 12 cents a gallon. So the average gas price in Philadelphia is $3.72 a gallon," said Jim Lardear of AAA Mid-Atlantic.
On average in our area, gas prices are about 90 cents a gallon higher than they were this week in 2010. That is why Bob Pletscher of Souderton tries to use his wife's Toyota instead of his pickup truck whenever possible.
"Before the prices started going up, it was only costing about $80- $85 to fill it. Now, it's about $120 or $130," said Pletscher.
And as painful as these numbers at the pump are right now, AAA says in the coming months we could see these prices climb even more.
"I'm not seeing any sign that it's going to slow down anytime soon. So is $4 in the offing? Potentially," said AAA's Lardear.
And that could have a big impact on people's vacation plans. Though Denise Vogel of South Philadelphia says she'll still be driving to the Shore.
"In the summertime I think it's going to be bad. It will hurt a little more, but I won't cut back," she told Action News.
