BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Gasoline and diesel prices in Michigan are cheaper ahead of Thanksgiving travel compared to last year.
Shawn Jones has been driving semi-trucks for 20 years. Skyrocketing diesel prices coming out of the pandemic especially strained his business.
“When the gas prices were high and you’re a smaller company, it makes you make a decision if you’re gonna be here or just give it up,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing with the fuel prices, especially diesel.”
He owns Jones Logistic Services, a freight service company based out of Grand Rapids. He and his employees transport food between Michigan and the Chicago area. News 8 caught up with him as he was filling up his semi-truck at a stop near Byron Center Sunday afternoon.
“Fuel is the biggest cost we got,” he said. “It’s more than employee wages. Even truck insurance, everything went up across the board.”
But things have gotten better since. Diesel prices in Michigan are averaging $3.62 a gallon, according to AAA. That’s less than last year, when the average price was $4.25 a gallon.
Because of the price decline, Jones says his revenue is up between 15% and 18%. Next year, he plans to buy new equipment, hire more workers and expand his fleet.
“If the fuel keeps going in the direction we’re going, we’ll be looking somewhere hopefully five to 10 trucks we’ll put on,” he said.
Ahead of Thanksgiving travel, AAA said the average price for regular gas in Kent County is $2.94 a gallon. That’s below the current state average of $3 a gallon. It’s also slightly below last year’s average of $3.19 a gallon.
GasBuddy says more than half of gas stations across the country are below $3 a gallon, the lowest prices since 2021. The national average price for regular unleaded is currently at $3.06 a gallon, according to AAA.
