WASHINGTON, DC - The price of oil hit another new record yesterday at just over $122 a barrel. That’s not good news for families, and it’s terrible news for truckers. They’re now paying a national average of $4.24 per gallon of diesel.

Families can try to cut gas costs by driving less, but that’s something truckers just can’t do. With just about everything we buy and everything we eat geting to market on a truck, when diesel prices go up, we all pay.

The higher fuel prices, the higher everything else is going to go - Jeffrey Rucas, Trucker

Mike Card, the owner and president of Combined Transport, told Congress that the run up in prices is draining the tank and his bank. "This recent escalation in the price of fuel cost me an additional $4 million dollars a year," Card explained.

One driver recently crushed his truck in frustration and protest. Tony Whitmore, an independent trucker, said that destroying his truck was "a symbolic movement to stress the plight of our independent truckers here in America"

We’re seeing a dramatic number of people lose their trucks and their livelihoods - Rep Peter DeFazio, Oregon (D)

With nearly 1000 trucking companies have out of business so far this year, it appears Congress is finally taking notice. Experts estimate that over 42,000 trucks have been taken off American roads due to rising fuel prices.

Every one cent hike in the price of diesel costs American truckers about $390 million. If you thought filling your gas tank was pricey… it now costs more than $1,000 to fill-up the tank of an 18 wheeler.