Gas in the Bay Area is getting brutal. Regular unleaded is running $6.08 to $6.58 depending on where you fill up. Sunday evening, a Chevron in Menlo Park was charging $7.49 to $7.89 a gallon. The pumps were empty.
The California average sits at $5.76. The national average: $3.96. That’s 35% higher than a month ago.
The culprit is the war with Iran. The conflict started Feb. 28. Last week, Brent crude briefly hit $119 a barrel. Before the war, it was $70.
DoorDash moved first. The company launched an emergency fuel assistance program, running through April 26. Two tracks.
For drivers with a DoorDash Crimson debit card — more than half of all couriers — cashback at gas stations jumps from 2% to 10%.
For everyone else: direct weekly payments. Five dollars for 125-plus delivery miles a week, $10 for 200-plus, $15 for 250-plus. DoorDash says the math works out to $1 to $1.50 saved per gallon.
“Rising gas prices put pressure on Dashers who depend on their vehicles,” the company said in a statement.
The competition has been quiet. GrubHub said it’s monitoring the situation. Uber and Lyft didn’t respond to requests for comment.
This script is familiar. In 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, DoorDash ran the same playbook. Back then, Uber added a fuel surcharge. Grubhub raised pay rates. This time, nobody’s followed.