ALBAWABA - In just 30 days, 16 trucking companies declared bankruptcy due to record diesel prices in the U.S. – Trump points to Ukraine hitting Russian refineries.

Diesel price hikes are most felt in the freight and transportation industry as virtually all trucks and trailers run on diesel.

Of the 16 trucking companies, some were small, single-operator outfits; others were larger, operating dozens of vehicles – all filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late August and early September.

Four of the companies were based in Texas – Governor Scott Abbott proclaimed a statewide disaster to ease restrictions on the use of untaxed diesel fuel on public highways, intending to relieve agricultural transportation, as most untaxed (dyed) diesel is produced for farm use.

"In the trucking business, gas prices eat into profit margins, and intense competition makes it hard for smaller players to pass on those added costs to customers,