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AAA listed the average price for diesel in Illinois at $6 per
gallon on Monday, up from $3.55 one year ago. The national
average for diesel on Monday was $5.64 per gallon.
Illinois Trucking Association Executive Director Matthew Hart
said labor is typically the number one cost in the trucking
industry, followed by fuel cost.
“If it costs us more to get your stuff to the store, ultimately
it's going to cost consumers more when they show up at the store
and have to pay more to get their stuff there,” Hart told The
Center Square.
The average price for diesel in the city of Chicago was $6.27 on
Monday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off National Small Business Week at
a bridal shop in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
“At the heart of our communities, our small businesses are truly
the backbone,” Johnson said.
Hart said, in his industry, small businesses will be most
impacted by the surging fuel prices.
“If they don't have a fuel surcharge in place, that really is
going to pinch a lot of guys in the short term, especially small
mom-and-pop trucking companies,” Hart said.
Statehouse Republicans have proposed pausing Illinois’ annual
fuel tax increases or at least pausing the sales tax on the gas
tax.
Hart said the state has nearly $7 billion in the state’s road
fund.
“We have to make sure we protect the infrastructure that we have
in place and the road improvements that we need, but also when
you have things like sales tax on motor fuel and the basis has
shot up so much, then I think it's worth taking a look at,” Hart
said.
Illinois’ diesel tax is scheduled to rise July 1 from 55.8 cents
per gallon to 57.1 cents per gallon.
The state’s tax on gasoline is scheduled to rise from 48.3 cents
per gallon to 49.6 on July 1.
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