Rising gas prices are hitting delivery drivers, business owners

High gas prices impact businesses that deliver

Business owners say it is impacting their bottom lines.

FOX 2 - As the war in Iran continues to disrupt oil supplies, crude oil prices are expected to continue to surge.

The backstory:

It’s a harsh reality for most drivers, but what happens when the business you own and operate is impacted by rising gas prices?

Triple-A says the national average for regular unleaded is $3.79, but some stations in Metro Detroit are charging over $4.

Many business owners say it’s impacting their bottom line, like Ameer Hermiz, a franchise owner of both a Savvy Sliders and Happy's Pizza.

"It’s hard to hire any drivers right now because of the gas prices," said Hermiz. "They’re worried about their gas delivering five to six miles. We deliver all the way to Troy, so that’s going to impact the drivers the biggest, so that’s probably why we’re not getting any drivers who are willing to work cause of gas prices."

Robin Zurla is the owner of Mattresses & Beyond in Royal Oak.

"If you are less than $899, we do charge a delivery fee," she said. "And that delivery fee, some people are a little disappointed because our costs have gone up. We’ve had to increase that cost as well. So I do feel it has impacted (prices) but hopefully if gas prices go down, then we can change our prices again.

"But it’s also impacted our own product, because the fuel charge that we get charged, that goes onto the consumer as well."

Chris Rea is the president of Thrifty Florist.

"Obviously when prices on gas go up it impacts our bottom line immediately because we deliver flowers firectly to our customers and we have trucks that deliver flowers out to our stores," Rea said. "It has a definite impact. 

"When prices get really high, we consolidate some of our deliveries and not make as many. (We) make sure that our trucks are filled to mitigate some of those rising costs like that, and we hope that they don’t last too long."

Some businesses are not passing the extra cost to the customer but they are not sure how long that will continue.

Ameer Hermiz, owner of Savvy Sliders/Happy's Pizza franchises.