DENVER (KDVR) — Gas prices are starting to soar, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
However, the real pain at the pump isn’t what you’ll find — it’s what you won’t, as many gas stations across the state have recently run out of fuel.
“The best way to describe this is just COVID-19 weirdness,” said Skyler McKinley with AAA Colorado.
The problem isn’t a lack of supply. Rather, it’s a lack of truck drivers. Many quit during the pandemic.
Demand for fuel is also rising because of the busy summer travel season as life returns to normal after the pandemic.
“There isn’t a gas shortage at all. What there is are a few logistical challenges brought on by COVID,” McKinley said.
Harold Trent is the director of United States Truck Driving School Incorporated in Wheat Ridge. He said while the shortage is nothing new, things did get worse during the pandemic.
“A lot of drivers with pre-existing health conditions quit. A lot quit and just said, ‘I’m not going to do this anymore,'” Trent said.
AAA Colorado expects the shortage to continue until at least early fall as the busy summer travel season continues.
“You can shut down the travel industry overnight, as we learned during the pandemic, but it takes a little bit longer to build back up,” McKinley said.