LANSING, Mich. — At Lansing Junk Removal's warehouse, piles of donated items tell the story of a business built on movement, and movement costs money.
- Gas prices in Lansing average $4.66 per gallon as of Thursday night.
- Local business owner reports 20% increase in fuel costs over the past two months.
- AAA expects 1.2 million Michiganders to travel despite high prices.
WATCH: LANSING BUSINESS OWNER SAYS GAS PRICES ARE STALLING GROWTH PLANS
"Generally a pile about this size would be about a full truck load," says Scott Toupin, pointing to a collection of furniture and household items that represents just one of many daily trips his trucks make across mid-Michigan.
Toupin, the company's founder and CEO, says rising gas prices aren't just affecting his fuel budget, they're freezing his plans for growth entirely.
"It's also affecting the resources to be able to hire additional people or to make some expansions," said Toupin.
WATCH: IS THE COST OF GAS CHANGING YOUR SUMMER PLANS?
The numbers paint a stark picture. According to AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland, Memorial Day gas prices this year are the highest since 2022. Woodland says the Lansing area averages $4.66 per gallon compared to $3.20 around this time last year.
"Today, the state average is about $4.74 a gallon," said Woodland.
For Toupin's business, that translates to paying 20% more to fuel his trucks over the past two months. When a typical workday includes five trips to customer homes plus stops at dumps and recycling centers, those costs add up quickly.
The unpredictability makes planning nearly impossible.
"You never know from one moment to the next whether or not it's going to go up or down. It's kind of like a lottery or something," said Toupin.
WATCH: HIGH GAS PRICES DRIVE UP COSTS FOR CATA
Despite the sticker shock, AAA expects near-record travel numbers this Memorial Day weekend, with 1.2 million Michiganders hitting the road.
"That amount that we're seeing, it's actually the second highest on record since AAA has begun compiling these numbers," said Woodland.
But high prices are changing how people travel and maintain their vehicles. Woodland says 47% of Michigan drivers admit to running their gas tanks dangerously low to avoid frequent fill-ups.
"Pretty much driving around on "E" longer than they normally would. And doing that could actually cause more harm," said Woodland.
For business owners like Toupin, every strategy counts until relief arrives.
"When we see that the prices had gone down, we try and use those moments to try and fuel up and then just try and stretch out the dollar as far as we possibly can with it," said Toupin.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
