There's a diesel dilemma at a gas station near you, just ask any independent truck driver.

At $3.59 a gallon, the kings of the road have become servants at the pump.

"Somewhere it's got to stop because we can't afford to drive," driver Mark Schab said.

Schab owns a big rig. He's an independent driver, caught in a costly diesel dilemma...fill his two, 150 gallon diesel tanks, or fill his stomach.

"I've got myself scheduled to one meal a day. I spend no more than $9.00 because if you don't budget yourself, you're not going to make it," Schab said.

Too expensive to travel home, Schab is celebrating his wedding anniversary at a truck stop, instead of with his wife in North Carolina.

"Driving as an independent driver and paying for fuel, I can't manage it," said Schab.

Some truckers say they actually come to the Shell gas station in Beech Island because at $3.59 a gallon, they say it's a good deal.

"I try to stop in the cities where the fuel is cheaper so I'll get 60 to 80 gallons," said Schab.

"I've been in it 14 years and it's just getting bad," said Elizabeth Harper, truck driver.

Harper is hoping to fight the diesel drain. $600 at the pump gets her 18 wheeler just 1,200 miles.

"It averages me $300 extra a week to run my truck out of my pocket," said Harper.

Harper tells NBC Augusta an independent driver she knows quit Friday because of the high fuel prices.

According to AAA, the average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel in the Augusta-Aiken area is $3.68.