Dear Editor:
All of us would like to buy locally. Good for business, good for the community. But….
Yesterday, the price of gas was $3.09 per gallon in Meeker. That’s $.50 per gallon more in Meeker than in Rifle. One reason often given is that it costs more to get gas transported to Meeker. However, according to recent figures from multiple reporting agencies, the cost per mile to operate a tanker truck is less than $2.00 per mile and that includes the driver. I don’t know what the gasoline retailers in Rifle pay for transportation of fuel to their sites, but, at $2.00 per mile, the additional cost to get gas to Meeker should only be $82 more (41 miles @ $2.00 per mile).
An average tanker holds 9,000 gallons. Doing the math, a gallon of gas should require less than one additional penny to get the fuel brought to Meeker from Rifle.
Typically, our Meeker gas stations charge about the same price per gallon. What’s happened to good old fashioned American-style competition in Meeker?
Stephen Austin
Rio Blanco
