Skyrocketing Gas Prices Squeeze Philly Trucking, Aviation Firms

Philadelphia's five-county region is reeling from gas prices averaging $4.15 per gallon for regular unleaded as of Monday, up 19 cents in a week and $1 since late February, when Middle East conflicts ignited oil supply disruptions.[1][4][5] AAA Mid-Atlantic reports drivers now pay $12 to $16 more to fill up than a month ago, hitting hardest in suburbs like Upper Chichester and Chester.[1][5] At a Sunoco on Township Line Road in Chester, regular fetched $4.19 a gallon, while aviation fuel at New Garden Flying Field in Toughkenamon, Chester County, hit $6 per gallon, forcing pilots to shell out $200-$300 per fill-up, said director Jon Martin.[1] Small businesses bear the brunt. Mustang Expediting in Aston, Delaware County, runs 26 diesel trucks across the Northeast and lists fuel among its top three costs, with general manager Wes Stratford warning that surges are 'hitting the bottom line' of small firms nationwide.[5] Jess Declet of Wingmom South PA in Concord Township, a single-mom operator, hasn't raised customer rates despite drivers rejecting long hauls as fuel eats earnings; she filled up at $4.15 at a Wawa on Chichester Avenue.[1][2] These operators track cash flow daily, bracing to pass costs to clients and, ultimately, consumers.[5] Public transit sees mixed impacts. SEPTA buses guzzle hundreds of gallons amid the spike, while ridership ticks up as commuters ditch cars—PATCO offers $2.80 round trips as an alternative.[3][4] Delaware stays cheapest at $3.91 regionally, up just 4 cents weekly, drawing cross-state fills, but Pennsylvania firms like those in Chester County feel no relief from national averages at $4.11.[1][4]