Soaring gas prices driving up cost of goods, services

It's not an option for Patrick M. Pyles to drive his pickup truck less.

The owner of Ready Building Services in Severna Park, he's pouring a couple of hundred dollars of gasoline a week into his Ford F-150.

"Just in the last month, I've been meaning to raise my rates, but fuel prices pushed me over the edge," he said.

He'll now charge $50 per man hour, up from $45.

"It's hurting everybody hard. We can't downsize," Mr. Pyles said.

Gas is well beyond its record high, with no end of the increase in sight. Diesel has increased even more dramatically. The fuel has spiked by almost 60 cents from a year...