Panic-buying worries local workers who rely on gas to do their jobs

GASTONIA, N.C. — Panic-buying and long lines at the gas pump is worrying local workers who rely on fuel to do their jobs.

AJ Lawing’s lawn mowers and 11 trucks were full Wednesday, but he said the coming days may be a different story.

“Hurts the people out here trying to make a living,” he said.

Lawings said he has contracts to provide service in several cities throughout the region and it’s not just for his fleet of vehicles.

“We run lawn mowers all day long,” he said. “We might drive 100, 200 miles a day in some of these trucks.”

He said he and his employees cannot load enough fuel on the trucks to get them through the day.

He and a couple of landscapers told Channel 9 that they are also watching the price of gas.

As demand increases so does the price. Lawings said his contracts are adjusted for an expected increase in gas price. A sharp rise means he can lose money for jobs he has to continue to do regularly.

“If the fuel don’t come back, I don’t know what we are going to do. Cause you know we are at the mercy of the gas pump,” he said.

The Colonial Pipeline restarted operations at 5 p.m. Wednesday, but company officials said it may take some time for fuel supply to return to normal.

(In the video below, Channel 9′s Ken Lemon speaks with another worker who was impacted by the gas shortage in our area)

Channel 9 speaks with local worker impacted by gas storage

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