JACKSONVILLE, Fla — As gas prices continue to soar, some people are left asking themselves if their jobs are worth the drive.
Delivery drivers that use their own vehicles, such as Uber or DoorDash workers, spend most of their work day in the car and at the gas pump.
"You're just throwing your own vehicle away and not getting much back," said an Uber Eats driver, who wants to remain anonymous.
This driver says she's making a lot less money than she did before gas prices started climbing. She's stopped accepting deliveries that are small, saying she could be driving miles and miles for an order that only adds up to a few bucks.
"A lot of times when that delivery comes up, I can't even accept it because it doesn't pay enough to cover the gas," she said. "I don't have money to buy a new tire. It's just crazy."
Uber now charges a gas surcharge of $0.45 to $0.55 on each Uber ride and the money goes to the driver. Door Dash created a gas rewards program for drivers to get cash back at the pump.
When could there be some relief? First Coast News caught up with Jacksonville University Finance Professor and Founder of MarketCipher Partners Abdel Missa.
"In my own opinion, I do think we're close to the peak," Missa said.
He says there are a lot of 'but's' depending on what road we're led down in world events.
"What needs to happen for gas prices to go down, so you have to fix the supply and demand," he said.
He is especially watching what happens with the war in Ukraine and oil talks in Saudi Arabia. As for the road ahead for delivery drivers, that's uncertain too.
"After putting that kind of wear and tear on your car, you need to have something to show for it," the Uber Eats driver said.
She says she's put more than 40,000 miles on her car since starting the job.
The average cost for a gallon of gas in Florida is now $4.35 and was $2.82 this time one year ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.