Noel Ballew, a truck driver from Yakima, Wash., remembers the 1990s, when diesel cost 99 cents a gallon. Ballew owns his own truck, but Salt Lake City-based Spider Transport schedules his routes and typically adds on a 15 percent fuel surcharge for an average load, which the company charges $6,000 for Ballew to transport.

On Monday, Ballew was filling up at the Flying J station en route to transport vehicles to South Florida.

He says that the 15 percent surcharge doesn't always cover fuel costs: "Most of the time, the owner-operator is eating fuel surcharges."

Allison Martin is also accepting higher gas prices as part of life. She lives in downtown Salt Lake City but commutes to Sandy for work.

"I suck it up and pay it," she said. "During the summer, it's going to be easier, because you can walk more."

Martin also plays in an indie-pop band called Cavedoll. Band members want to book more out-of-town shows but pause at the thought of paying for gas.

"I'd love to tour more," she said. "But to pay so much money to get there, are you going to make enough money?"

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Contributing: Associated Press

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com