California driver struggles to fill tank as gas nears $6 before tax hike

A Southern California gas station owner is capturing the frustrations of many drivers as they’re feeling fuel prices put a dent in their wallets.

“Adding insult to injury,” Dave Bohorquez, a local gas station owner told ABC 10. “We are just holding on, hoping to ride through it.”

The comment points to a looming July 1 hike in California’s gas tax — an annual increase tied to inflation — set to hit drivers already paying among the highest prices in the country.

Across California, gas prices hovered around $5.93 a gallon Sunday morning — well above the national average of $4.09 — even after a temporary easing of global oil tensions tied to Iran.

Bohorquez, who has owned Valley Center Oil for 16 years, the impact is showing up both at the pump and on his balance sheet.

“We have people coming and literally putting a pile of change on the counter trying to get enough fuel in their vehicle to get to work for the day,” Bohorquez said.

The strain on customers is also translating into declining business performance.

“Our sales are down 15 to 20%. Profits are down probably 25 to 30%, because honestly, on a normal day, we make more money on mini mart sales.

“If people can only afford fuel in their tank to get to work, it affects the bottom line more,” Bohorquez continued.

He described the current oil market as “volatile,” pointing to rapid swings in wholesale fuel costs driven by uncertainty in global supply routes.

“This situation is more difficult to handle because it’s sporadic. One day, the news says the strait is open. Wholesale prices fall overnight.

“I’ve taken a load at a high price, and it takes several days to get rid of it. By the time ready for another load, the strait has been closed again, and the fuel prices skyrocket,” Bohorquez said.

Those fluctuations, he said, hit smaller, family-run stations the hardest.

“It’s tougher for smaller stations that don’t do as much volume. We can’t drop the prices because of wholesale prices if we’ve got $6,000 in the tank that we paid higher prices for. It’s very hard to grasp where the trend is going and stay ahead of the game,” Bohorquez said.

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