Fuel prices put brakes on driver profits

On any given Monday you can find a parking lot full of taxi drivers willing to talk about what a pain fuel prices are. But this week, its full of cabbies who now remember $3 a gallon gas as the good ole' days.

"It was bad before and its at least half as bad again. So there you are in a nutshell, that's all I can say," Bettie Purkey, a driver and co-owner of Cloud Nine Taxi said.

Drivers here charge $2 a mile and get a $1 surcharge for each trip. Their rates are set by the airport authority.

In years past, a good week at the airport could mean $1,000 in take home cash for a busy driver. Recently, most drivers say they could still make enough to make ends meet.

But now, with $5 a gallon gas and a fuel shortage around East Tennessee, drivers say they will be surprised if they can manage $100 a week in take home pay during the crunch.

"Its really hard for small business people," Purkey said.

Even the downtown and University of Tennessee route has lost its appeal to many drivers. Traditionally, the route was a good money-maker, especially on football Saturdays. In past years, drivers could make between $200-$300 in a day. This year's home opener saw some drivers pulling in only about $50 after paying for their gas.

"It would probably be better if I stayed at home. I'm serious," Purkey said.

Cameron Broyles delivers pizza to feed his young family. He says he actually lost sleep last Thursday night as rumors swirled about gas prices rising. Each delivery he makes for Pizza Hut nets him $1.10 plus tip. Late last week, he had to stop driving because he couldn't afford to fill up.

I had a sign out in front of the store that said, 'no gas, no pizza,'" Broyles said. "I only made that much money and I wasn't able to do my job."

A $50-$60 night of pizza delivery doesn't mean much when it costs him almost that to fill up his ten-gallon Toyota Corolla. He says it's not uncommon to go through a tank of gas in a night.

"A sudden forced lifestyle change has really put a cramper on us," he said.

While industry experts say prices should start to fall as refineries get back online after hurricane damage, those who need the fuel to feed their families say it can't happen fast enough.

"If it doesn't, I see a lot of people going out of business, I really do," Purkey said.