DORAVILLE, Ga. — As drivers waited in line to fuel up in Georgia Tuesday, they say prices jumped at the pump.
Fuel prices went up at some metro Atlanta stations around the time President Biden announced the boycott of Russian fuel.
"The fuel was $4.69 when I got in line," said Rachel Bridges, who was among the truckers who took a diesel price jolt as she waited to fuel up.
Bridges was frustrated, adding that it all happened quicker than she expected.
"It changed to $4.99 already," she said. "Just in the last five minutes."
An 11Alive crew was at the QT truck stop in Doraville at the time and verified the change in price. Social media reported similar jumps elsewhere.
Bridges said she pays for her truck’s fuel from her own pocket.
"I spend anywhere from $500 to $600 in just a couple of days," Bridges said. "It’s going to double."
Elsewhere at the truck stop, Sam Webb was fueling up his tractor-trailer. He's also a local owner-operator.
"Right now, I’m going to see if I can renegotiate my contract with the dedicated contract I’m doing, and see if I can get more pay for the fuel that I’m using," Webb said. "Because it’s coming out of my company."
Webb is an Atlanta-based trucker who says he wants to support Ukraine while Russia wages war on the country and won’t complain for now about higher fuel.
"I wish they would go over there and help the Ukrainians," he said. "Do something, you know?"
Bridges is uneasy about a fuel boycott that might make those prices even higher.
"Knowing that the U.S. is the top producer of oil in the world -- it’s frustrating. It’s very frustrating."
Government data shows the U.S. imported nearly eight million barrels of petroleum from Russia per day in 2021 – about 7% of the U.S.’s oil imports. That same year, the U.S. became a net exporter of petroleum.
"Obviously buying Russian oil isn’t advantageous for us in any respect, especially when we have enough oil here in our country to be energy independent," said Mike Collins, who runs a trucking company with about 100 rigs, south of Atlanta.
He’s also a Republican running for Congress in the tenth district. He said he backs Biden’s decision to cut off Russian imports.
"The oil money we send Russia just provides Putin money to go out there and pay for these wars and invading Ukraine," Collins said.
Collins said he wants Biden to expand domestic oil supplies by re-starting the Keystone Pipeline -- which would direct fuel from Canada into the U.S.
Biden’s unwillingness to do that means Republicans will be able to support the boycott of Russian fuel – yet still try to hold the president accountable for higher fuel prices.