An independent truck owner who has supported Donald Trump since his 2015 presidential bid has called on the president to resolve tensions with Iran, citing elevated diesel costs that have rendered operating his $275,000 vehicle financially unviable.

A clip posted to X and shared broadly showed an unidentified man dressed in a T-shirt displaying the A.F. logo. Pacillo General Contractors submitted a direct appeal to Trump as the nationwide average diesel price exceeded $6 per gallon for the first time in recorded history.

According to AAA data, the national average retail diesel price reached $6.05 per gallon on 11 September, representing a rise of over 60 per cent compared with the same period the previous year. The man in the footage stated he had backed Trump since his escalator announcement, reaffirmed his continued support for the president, and urged that the situation in Iran be brought to a resolution.

In the footage, initially aired by a news outlet, the man stated he could not risk the vehicle being taken out of storage. He outlined the cost pressures on his margins, noting that his fuel expenses had doubled. He added that passing operating costs on to customers was not viable, explaining that while the vehicle generated around $1,000 per day in revenue, fuel alone consumed approximately $300 of that, and that tyre expenses had also risen considerably. He noted that his business consists of himself and his two children.

In early September, the price of diesel climbed to an all-time high of $5.85 per gallon, topping the prior peak established in June 2022 following the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine, and continued to rise thereafter. As of 16 September, the national average price for diesel had climbed to approximately $6.31 per gallon, a figure representing a rise of more than 70 per cent compared with the same period the previous year, according to AAA data. AAA data for 17 September showed the nationwide average price reaching $6.3956, marking an all-time high.

Fuel price variations across the country have added pressure on trucking operators along the West Coast, where California pump prices for diesel have reached above $8 per gallon. Fuel ranks among the top two expenditure items for independent trucking businesses, trailing only labour costs, and financial pressure in the sector has been accumulating over recent months.

According to the American Trucking Associations, road freight vehicles handled approximately 72.7 per cent of all goods transported by weight across the country in 2024, a figure that has placed upward pressure on costs throughout grocery and retail supply chains as diesel prices climb. According to the Independent Grocers Alliance, which operates across more than 7,500 retail locations worldwide, transportation and fuel expenses can represent anywhere between 15 and 30 per cent of the total price of certain food items.

The administration has granted successive 90-day renewals of a Jones Act waiver, permitting vessels registered under foreign flags to carry fuel between domestic ports as part of efforts to address supply-chain constraints and moderate energy costs. William Doyle, a former member of the US Federal Maritime Commission, has cast doubt on the effectiveness of such waivers, arguing that their influence would be negligible given that oil pricing is driven primarily by global market forces rather than freight costs.

Rising diesel costs, which have surpassed $6 per gallon, are placing strain on the agriculture and freight industries as the November midterm elections approach. With diesel prices holding above $6 per gallon, the operator's $275,000 rig has remained parked rather than on the road.