Truck drivers feeling the effects of new California gas tax

Higher gas prices have officially hit the pumps in California.

The new 5.6-cent additional tax went into effect Monday morning, and it isn’t going over well on the Central Coast.

For those who don’t drive much, this tax won’t hit hard. But for those who drive all the time, such as truck drivers, this is a big-time hit.

And while many jobs require sacrifice, truck driving will now cost even more money.

Longtime truck driver Bruce Goetjen says, “I mean, you are talking thousands of dollars per truck, per year.”

Most truck drivers don’t pay for their gas. Their companies do. Goetjen, who has driven all across the country, says California always has the highest gas prices. After a while, he says the situation does become tedious. “We are only allowed to fuel at one station. We used to be able to fuel wherever we wanted. We had a card that we could fuel at any station, right? Then they changed it to that because they are getting a discount.”

Goetjen fills up his 240-gallon tank almost once a day. The extra 5.6-cent tax can add up to $5,000 a year to the gas bill.

But this tax isn’t just hitting the big gas-guzzling trucks. Steven, who works on a farm in Chico, drives about 150 miles a day. “We’ve got 8 trucks that the farm pays fuel for, plus the machines and everything else. Our fuel bill is a lot,” says Steven.

Most people didn’t see the need for the new tax, but others say it’s just what it takes to keep California beautiful.