With the price of gas rising with no end in sight, many Coloradans first thought will be about how much more they are spending at the pumps.

But rising costs may soon spread to more than just gas, and can have a more all-around impact on your wallet, as spiking diesel prices could lead to an increase in cost for consumer goods.

Fuel costs have spiked since late February due to the ongoing war in Iran, rising two dollars per gallon on average in the Denver area, according to data from GasBuddy. There was a brief respite in late April as average prices dropped about 20 cents before prices surged again to the current average of $4.45 a gallon, with the most expensive gas found in Denver reaching $4.89 a gallon for unleaded. 

To put that in perspective, prices in early February averaged about $2.40, with prices being even lower in December, at about $2.13. Some places in metro Denver, such as the Sam’s Club in Arvada, even had gas below $2.

But one part of the rising gas costs that may get less attention is the rise in diesel prices. The price of a gallon of diesel in Colorado has risen at a similar rate to unleaded, going from an average of $3.38 per gallon in early February to its current average of $5.50, according to data from AAA.

Skyler McKinley, a spokesperson for AAA, said an increase in the cost of diesel can affect the price of just about everything. Since so many products in the United States are shipped using commercial vehicles such as trucks, the cost of diesel factors into the price the consumer sees when buying that product at the store.

“Diesel is so foundational to our entire economy,” McKinley said. “Everything gets more expensive, because if you have any product that was brought to you by way of a cargo ship or a commercial motor carrier, the price of diesel factors in.”

McKinley said prices on consumer goods will rise at a different rate than gas prices, which fluctuate often and can rise and fall dramatically over a period of only a few days. He said if diesel prices continue to go up, prices for consumer goods can rise over time, depending on how companies choose to offset the increased cost for shipping products.

McKinley also said diesel fuel is often the same kind of fuel used to heat homes, meaning if the increased prices carry through to winter, Coloradans and Americans may see it cost more to keep their homes warm.

The increase in fuel prices has also created a “perfect storm” for already struggling trucking companies, according to Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. Fulton said this is the third year of a freight recession, with tariffs reducing the amount of cargo coming into the country. He said over 100,000 trucking companies have gone under since 2022, with bankruptcy rates for trucking companies up 35%.

“Having the rise in diesel prices has added to the pain,” he said. Fulton said many carriers will add a fuel surcharge to shippers to offset the cost, but with how volatile fuel prices are, they often change faster than a surcharge can be added. 

“I’ve been in this business about 30 years, and this is probably one of the most challenging times we’ve ever seen for our companies,” Fulton said. 

Fulton added onto McKinley’s point of rising consumer goods prices, saying the increase in diesel prices will soon embed itself into “everything.”

“Everything at some point in terms of products in the cycle moves by truck,” Fulton said. “75% of the communities in the state are only served by truck.”