It sounds like something out of a movie about the gas shortages of the '60s and '70s or the actual ones, except it wasn't even a shortage in this case and it was all too real for drivers looking to fill up, as KCRG says a handful of Casey's stores across Iowa had ZERO gas in their pumps for all or part of last weekend.

Locally, a store on the Southwest side of Cedar Rapids as well as stores in Fairfax, Ely, Amana, and Marshalltown had the fuel well dry all weekend and could do very little about it. According to the KCCI, Gas Buddy blamed the shortage on a lack of truck drivers. Casey's will not comment on what spurred the lack of fuel in their pumps.

KCRG also says that like many other businesses and industries, if you need a job you can get one delivering gas to these stations, and some are even offering up to $15,000 sign-on bonuses for tanker drivers. Ironically, there is plenty of gas to go around, just not enough tanker drivers to get it out there.

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Patrick DeHaan of Gas Buddy says to be patient. He tries to offer the assurance that if a station is without gas, it's usually only a matter of hours before it gets there but for people who take the phrases "gas station" and "convenience store" literally, it's of little comfort and quite a hassle to have neither gas nor convenience when and where they want it.

Current local gas prices tend to be between $2.40 and $2.80 and AAA puts the latest national average around $3.07. Check Gas Buddy's handy gas tracker to see where you can fill up now.

 

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