THOMASVILLE — Two companies in the Meigs-Ochlocknee area will call it a day at the end of June.

Blame both closings on high fuel costs.

“Any time the fuel goes up, we have to pass that cost along to our customers,” said Vernon Fielding, owner of L & B Transport on Ga. 3 near Ochlocknee.

Waverly Minerals Inc. officials did not return repeated phone calls.

“They work with cat litter and oil absorbent,” said Don Sims, president of the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce, about Waverly. “They will cease operations at the end of the month.” Fielding said he will shut down his trucks for a while “and see what happens.”

“At this point, I can no longer absorb the increase in fuel costs,” he added.

L & B had a dozen employees, but is down to five. On June 30, all but one employee will be out of a job. The remaining employee will move to Fielding’s L & B Lumber Co., which repairs and refurbishes pallets.

The transport business’ primary function was to deliver pallets to customers.

Industry can bear $2 to $2.50 a gallon for diesel fuel, Fielding explained, adding that the price has reached $4.70 a gallon.

“At some point, the customer says no,” Fielding said.

A load of pallets that used to cost a customer $1,000 now costs $1,500.

“I think this is a rare animal we’re seeing that the trucking industry has not seen in the past,” Fielding said.

Lanny Robison, who lives three miles north of Ochlocknee, has worked at Waverly for close to three decades.

“I’m working on 28 years — 27 and five months,” said Robison, who will be 64 in July.

On June 30, his Waverly employment ends. Robison, who works in maintenance, is looking for other work.