With the average gas price now well over $4 a gallon, we’re all feeling pain at the pump. Tips from our lawn care pros, who need gas for their trucks and their lawn care equipment, can help you to save whenever you fill up or top off your tank.
The national average gas price on May 1, 2026, was $4.39, according to AAA. California’s average gas price topped $6 a gallon. Ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to increase gas prices even further. In the past week alone, the average gas price has shot up nearly 30 cents.
How big of an impact are the rising gas prices having on outdoor services providers? We asked our LawnStarter and Lawn Love pros.
“I went from $30 to $40 a tank to $65 right now for my truck,” says lawn and pool care pro Carlos Garza, who owns NC Dip and Clip in San Antonio.
Here’s how lawn care pros are trimming their fuel costs — things that you can do too:
1. Use Gas Cards and Fuel Savings Apps
How does Garza save at the pump? “I use Sam’s Club and Circle K gas cards for discounts.”
John Heckard, a lawn care pro in Oklahoma City, uses the Fuel Forward app to save 15 cents a gallon all the time, and “special days like holidays are even more – sometimes 30 or even 40 cents discounts.”
Chelsea Morris, owner of High-Class Grass in Virginia Beach, says, “I use every discount I come across. I use my points to get 10-15 cents off per gallon via an app called Upside that has great discounts and deals for cash back.”
Here are some ways gas cards and gas apps can save you now:
- Warehouse club gas prices: Saving 5 or 10 cents a gallon quickly will cover your annual membership fee at Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s.
- Supermarket fuel perks: Your everyday spending at the supermarket adds up to cents off per gallon at select gas stations. Check with your favorite grocery.
- Gas station fuel savings: QuikTrip, Shell, Exxon, Union 76, 7-Eleven, and others have fuel savings programs.
- GasBuddy gas price app: Knowing where low gas prices are in your city or region can help you to save, but as a LawnStarter pro told me 4 years ago, prices change throughout the day so low prices may be gone in a flash. You don’t want to drive all over town chasing the lowest gas price.
2. Switch from Gas to Electric Mowers, Trimmers
How else are lawn care, landscaping, and pool service pros coping with rising gas prices? They’ve switched from gas-powered to electric tools, or they’re considering doing so. One lawn care pro has even switched from a gas-powered truck to an EV truck to get from job to job.
“I already use electric mowers and that saves me a bunch in gas and maintenance, with the tradeoff being battery quantity/reliability,” Garza says.
Justin Stultz, owner of Wildflower Lawn Care in Hutto, Texas, says, “I’m really considering getting electric trimmers and a blower.
“It’s going to be rough if this gets out of hand,” he adds. “I’ve been hearing talk of $200 a barrel on the news. I think that comes out to over $7 a gallon. Definitely getting battery equipment then.”
Lawn care pro Arely Elrod, owner of JALER LLC in Parrish, Florida, says, “The biggest expense we used to have was fuel for the truck,” but he’s had an EV (electric vehicle) truck for about 2 years.
How to save if you’re thinking of switching from gas to electric lawn care equipment:
- Look for sales online: You’ll often find deals on mowers, string trimmers, and leaf blowers ahead of Father’s Day, Prime Day, Black Friday, and at the end of mowing season. If you want a particular mower or yard tool, keep tabs on manufacturer websites, Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, and other store websites for sales.
- Check for local financial incentives to make the switch: Iif you’re a lawn care pro or homeowner in California, check for county or city incentives to help lower the cost of making the switch to eco-friendly lawn care equipment. (Your city or county may have similar gas-to-electric lawn care equipment incentives.)
See Related:
— Gas or Electric Mowers: Which Should You Choose?
3. Optimize Your Route: Do More, More Efficiently
“We have been piling our jobs on less days,” Elrod says. “We used to try to stay around 15 jobs max each day. We are easily doing over 20 now to save on cost. Route optimization is key for saving time and money.”
How you can implement your own route optimization system:
- Plan/group your shopping trips: Get all you can in one trip out and group your stops close together to save on gas. LawnStarter’s app does this for pros, but you can do this too if you plan ahead.
For me, this means hitting the post office in the same plaza as my gym.
4. Leave the Car in the Garage or Driveway
This won’t work for lawn care pros, but it can work for you to save on your gas costs.
- Walk, bike, or take mass transit: Use your feet or pedal your way to the CVS or Walgreens. Or take a bus, subway, or train to get to work or watch your favorite team play. You’ll see more walking – everything is in bloom, and you’ll likely be surrounded by like-minded fans to and from the game.
- Cash in on not taking the car: Look for local or national commuter benefits apps that will reward you for leaving your car in the driveway or garage.
FAQ
If oil hits $150 a barrel, the average gas price would be just over $5 a gallon. Gas prices last climbed above $4 in 2022 peaking in June when the national average reached a record of $5/gallon for one week.
AAA suggests some use less gas in your car, truck, or SUV:
— Slow down and drive the speed limit. On the highway, aerodynamic drag causes fuel economy to drop off significantly as speeds increase above 50 mph.
— Minimize your use of air conditioning. Even at highway speeds, open windows have less effect on fuel economy than the engine power required to operate the air conditioning compressor.
Those are just two of AAA’s many fuel saving tips.
How Everyone Can Save on Gas Prices Now
Record gas prices will goose the cost of groceries, airline tickets, and all sorts of consumer products at small businesses and big-box stores. Short day trips likely will replace long summer road trips or fly-away vacations with the family.
Lawn care pros, Uber/Lyft drivers, and DoorDash/GrubHub delivery drivers are getting hit harder than many of us, but the ways they’re saving at the pump can help all of us.
Main Image: A lawn care truck and gas cans illustrate rising fuel costs. Image Credit: Jeff Herman with text overlay
