Industries hit hard by hike in fuel prices

Airlines, truckers and railroads under pressure. Factories not yet anxious.

As bad as a motorist may feel paying $50 or more to fill the gas tank of the family car, imagine if your job were to keep hundreds of airplanes flying, or a fleet of trucks on the highway.

Airlines, trucking companies and railroads are among the industries that have been hit hardest by the recent rise in fuel prices. Big manufacturing companies say they are not experiencing as much anxiety – yet. But as energy prices fluctuate wildly, managers in many industries must go back to their spreadsheets, recalculate their costs, and reevaluate their operations.

Crude oil for June delivery reached a record $75 a barrel April 21, and some analysts have warned that the cost could reach $100 a barrel later this year. Oil closed yesterday at $74.61, up 91 cents. Still, oil prices are 38 percent higher than they were a year ago.

Gasoline prices were hovering around $3 a gallon in the Philadelphia region, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, and averaged $2.91 a gallon nationwide.

Philadelphia Inquirer