El Paso last stop for truck drivers to fill up on fuel due to gas shortage
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14) — This week’s winter storm has caused gas shortages across the state, but not in El Paso.
El Pasoans have seen long lines at gas stations, as the Borderland panics over concerns of a gas shortage.
Truck drivers said the reality is that El Paso’s got the best gas supply of just about anywhere in Texas.
“No one’s delivering. It’s affecting stores, stores are cleaned out,” said a truck driver in Van Horn, Texas.
The polar vortex that hit Texas this week has made roads treacherous statewide, shutting down thousands of businesses, including those that make their living on the interstates.
“I shut myself down due to the weather conditions and the extreme temperatures,” a truck driver said.
Truck drivers often stop two hours east of El Paso in Van Horn to fill up before heading for cities like Dallas and San Antonio.
Truckers who’ve tried that route this week haven’t seen much success.
“I see them leave, and about an hour and a half later, they turn around and come back. And they shut themselves down. Because once I get down the road, there’s going to be no fuel availability for me,” the driver said.
Drivers said with gas supplies dropping fast statewide, trucking in Texas is at a standstill.
“I’m sitting on a load right now that I’ve been sitting on for six days. It should’ve delivered on Monday,” said a truck driver.
There has been one bright spot in the lone star state.
“El Paso is great, it’s just once you got past Midland and Odessa. Everything fell apart from there,” the truck driver continued.
Drivers said the borderland hasn’t seen the same hit to gas supplies as the rest of the state, but that hasn’t stopped El Pasoans from panic buying fuel.
With long lines forming at gas stations due to fears of a shortage in the Sun City.
We asked the Texas Department of Emergency Management whether El Paso could see a shortage because of supply issues in the rest of the state.
In response, TDEM said the roads in the rest of Texas are expected to thaw soon, allowing gas deliveries to resume and stopping shortages elsewhere.
American Automobile Association officials said gas prices are expected to rise in El Paso, but not because supplies will be an issue.
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