The American Trucking Associations is predicting a record high diesel fuel bill for 2008, to the tune of $135 billion dollars.

The ATA recently announced its projection, which is based on current fuel price forecasts. This marks a $22 billion increase over the $112.6 billion spent by trucking in 2007.

ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said the trucking industry is experiencing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history. Historically, fuel represented the second-highest operating expense for motor carriers, accounting for as much as 25 percent of total operating costs. For some motor carriers, however, fuel is beginning to surpass labor as their largest expense.

“The trucking industry is making great strides in its efforts to reduce overall fuel consumption. But an affordable supply of diesel fuel is imperative to keep our trucks moving,” said Graves. “There is little to suggest that fuel prices will decline any time soon. Yet every day, ATA hears new stories from its members about how escalating fuel prices are hurting their businesses and affecting their livelihood.”

The ATA says the cost to fill the fuel tanks on a typical tractor-trailer has increased 116 percent, or $615, in just five years. Because trucks haul 70 percent of all freight tonnage, rising fuel costs have the potential to increase the cost of everything transported by truck, including food, retail and manufactured goods, they say.