Y2K Could Mean Lines at Fuel Pumps For Truckers
According to a report by the U.S. General Accounting Office, the oil industry has too many question marks about possible Y2K computer glitches.
But an industry spokesman said the biggest concern is that customers will drive to the gas pumps in droves.
"The most important thing is for people not to panic and not to hoard," said Jim Fair, a spokesman for BP Amoco in Chicago.
Service stations are designed to handle only a certain volume of business, which has nothing to do with computer glitches, he said.
In Iowa, the largest supplier of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is Williams Pipe Line Co. of Tulsa, Okla. It has had a team focusing on Y2K since early 1998, and hopes to have 90 percent of its testing done by the end of this month.
"We are cautiously optimistic that there will be no problems at the end of this year," said Brent Coussens, a company Y2K manager.
The company can't guarantee Iowa will have gasoline and other fuel, but it is doing everything possible to assure that car and truck fuels are available, he said.
Casey's General Store, which sells gasoline at about 320 locations in Iowa, doesn't expect supply problems related to Y2K, said Jim Shaffer, chief financial officer of the Ankeny company.
"The only thing we are concerned about is whether all of the small utility companies can provide power. But even that would be temporary situation. And assuming that we have power, the pumps are going to work," Shaffer said.
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