CHARLESTON, W.VA – The West Virginia Trucking Association believes that Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s executive order to temporarily permit highway use of red-dyed diesel can help its members significantly.
The Morrisey administration projected savings of 20.5 cents per gallon compared to current prices, but the WVTA has seen numbers that could go even higher.
“You’re talking about trucks that are filling up with several hundred gallons sometimes or, at least, 120 gallons on a fill-up. Let’s say you’re saving 40 cents for easy numbers. That’s a lot of money,” Daniel Hall, WV Trucking Association Director of Government Affairs, said on MetroNews Talkline.
Morrisey signed the executive order declaring a 60-state of emergency on Tuesday. Hall said that West Virginia needs affordable diesel to keep running.
“You’ve got the coal industry. You’ve got the gas industry. You’ve got the timber industry, contractors, paving trucks, and people hauling concrete and gravel. That happens all day, every day in West Virginia,” he said.
Safety and availability of red-dyed diesel for highway vehicles are two of the biggest concerns raised since the governor’s announcement. Hall believes that truckers know where to find the fuel and said industry experts he’s spoken to do not worry over safety.
“They are waiting for some specific guidance from manufacturers or official statements saying it’s fine, but the people I’ve talked to are not concerned,” he said.
The order also intends to resolve supply chain issues related to industries like agriculture and forestry. On top of that, Hall said that the rising cost of diesel eventually makes its way to the consumers.
“They’re passing that on to the consumer and the people they’re hauling the freight for. Ultimately, who pays for all of that? “You and I do at the grocery store or at Lowe’s when we go, but a 2×4,” he said.