Too few delivery drivers could lead to gas shortage in NC

According to AAA of the Carolinas, an estimated 84% of Americans have plans to travel in the next six months.

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of oil or gasoline, but rather in the the tanker truck drivers needed for deliveries.

In 2020, when there was less travel, we saw a decrease in petroleum use. It left many drivers carrying gas and oil at a stand still, and many left the industry.

"Most of the national average are truck drivers in general, with 40-60,000 drivers short," said David Bunch with Pope Transport.

Bunch says that hiring more drivers is not that simple -- it requires extensive training.

"You have to have more training, it’s harder to get folks into the industry and a lot of the younger generation is not migrating to the truck-driving industry," he said.

As more states slowly reopen, the demand for gas will increase. With fewer drivers, that means gas can't get to where it needs to go on time.

Some drivers may end up waiting at the pump.

"There could be an occasion where you get to a site and the driver might be within 30 minutes or an hour or two hours away because the various common carriers don’t have the number of drivers they would’ve had in past years," Bunch said.

While it's not a widespread issue, it could occur more in places like the Carolinas, close to the beaches and mountains.

Tiffany Wright with AAA says, you can also expect gas prices to increase.

"I will say, we’re going to see some of the highest gas prices we’ve seen in recent years during Memorial Day travel," she said. "A big reason for that is because no one was traveling last year. Right now, we're already paying a dollar and 5 cents more this time, per gallon, than we were last year."

Experts don't recommend you panic buy, saying that will make things worse. Instead, they suggest topping off as often as possible, and, if you can, try filling up your tank the day before your trip.