[LONGHAIR]

Originally Posted by truckin 79

I will wade into this and say that a President has very little impact on gas prices short term, supply and demand does with a large part of influence by OPEC. The one thing a President can do is release oil reserves in the short term as the current President did and also the previous President did in 2019. As much oil and gas reserves we have in the US, middle east countries can produce a barrel of oil cheaper. They do not have to drill sideways under mountains or by peoples backyards. If OPEC wants to flood the market with cheaper crude then thats what they will do and was able to drive some smaller oil companies out of business. If OPEC wants to inflate prices they produce less oil. Also during the pandemic there was less need for gas and thus less truck drivers to fill those gas stations so many were laid off. It takes a special license to deliver fuel to gas stations and that caused a shortage in qualified drivers, another factor. Gas prices actually started to rise in May of 2020 once agian who are you going to blame, not the President but supply and demand with a helping hand from OPEC.

That was only the case when we needed their oil. In the last few years, when the US became energy independent, using our own oil, OPEC production meant nothing. Biden stopping the pipeline and the drilling on federal land in the first week in office caused all of it.
The trucking issues are not so concrete. I'm thinking the Covid lockdowns had to be at least part of it. All it would take is some of them losing their trucks or businesses, enough of the older ones to just thrown in the towel and retire, etc. and the total volume of drivers drops.