Huachuca Shuttle made a change to keep its fleet on the road, helping service members and the community get to Tucson.
Danielle Sheppard started Huachuca Shuttle to fill a need in Sierra Vista, mainly bringing people to and from the airport in Tucson. Now that is costing her more than it has in the past, which is why she had to make a decision that no business owner wants to make.
"Being in business for so long, I rarely change my prices, but I had to change the prices, because the gas, and I knew it was only going to get worse," Danielle Sheppard said. “At first, without the price increase for our affairs, you know it's, of course, then you have no margin at all for profit. So with the fair increase that I did, to follow kind of the gas prices that are probably still going to continue to go up, I feel like we're at a comfortable spot right now.”
In February, she increased ride rates by about $20. She said it costs her over $2,000 more a month just for gas, and the $20 increase is less than what it costs her to fill up after every trip.
"The last group chat was, hey, Benson's right now. So we're like, Okay, everyone, go to Benson. But then, you know, it fluctuates Sierra Vista or Tucson, so we try to gas up wherever we're at, but every trip you have to gas up," Sheppard said. "You have to gas up, because gassing up is like what, like a majority of our business, we have to get to the airport and back."
It is not just the rise in gas prices affecting small business owners like Sheppard. Minimum wage increases and insurance costs are shrinking profit margins.
"Definitely sustainable as of today, I'm not sure what the future would be," Sheppard said.
After 24 years, Sheppard says she is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her doors open.
"When I get a call, and a soldier's like, Hey, I'm at the airport. I don't know what it's due to me, like this is probably weird, but to me, that's like my son or daughter on the phone, and I want to make sure that I provide a good service to them and take care of them," Sheppard said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
