Food trucks feel bite of fuel prices

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Food trucks and trailers are a great place to get a quick bite to eat, but those motorized businesses are feeling the bite of high fuel prices.

Almost every day we see new examples of how rising fuel prices can affect us and affect our neighbors: Food trucks for example. Some of them use three different types of petroleum fuels.

For Malta Joe Gauci to serve up his Maltese pastries, he has to burn gas to tow his trailer, burn propane to heat the oven, and burn diesel to power the generator.

He says diesel’s the worst at more than five dollars a gallon.

He says when fuel prices are low it’s easy to roll out the Paztizzi Express more often and go to more events. But if fuel prices keep rising he may have to start cutting back.

“I’m going to have to slow down going out of the factory and bringing the food truck out and just selling from our factory downtown in South Palo Verde.”

At Colonel Mustard’s Hot Dogs Steven Klein says when gas prices go up, the distance he’ll drive goes down.

“We have to be much more careful with this as to what events we’re going to be doing, and we’re going to have to eventually forego some if the revenue isn’t going to be enough to offset the increased cost of travel.”

And it’s not just where the food vendors will drive. They worry expensive gas will discourage customers from driving out to buy what they serve.