NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Americans continue to feel pressure at the pump as gas prices rise around the county.

Increasing gas prices are making some delivery drivers rethink how they make a living.

“Oh God, it’s horrible,” Kam Zuniga said of climbing gas prices. They’re making her rethink her job as a DoorDash driver. “It makes it harder because you don’t want to do it because you’re spending gas money and time and energy, and you’re not getting paid very much,” she explained, adding that sometimes one delivery pays less than the current price of a gallon of gas.

“Sometimes you get $2.75 runs, and there’s a no tip on it, and you can’t feed your family you can’t put gas in your car,” Zuniga said.

According to MTSU Economics Professor Daniel Smith, prices will only climb higher.

“The United States gets most of its oil from Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia,” he explained, “but about 8% of our oil does come from Russia, so certainly banning that source is going to affect gas prices in the United States.”

Smith said Tennesseans could see gas prices as high as $5 a gallon. “The extent to which gas prices rise is, of course, going to be kind of determined politically by how much President Biden does open up the oil reserves.”

Zuniga urged food delivery app users to tip.

“Your drivers are your wait staff. We go to the restaurants, and we pick it up for you, we wait. We make sure your food is to you in a timely manner.”

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