Picking up or returning a rental car in Miami? Here are tips to survive the gas crunch

Picture this:

You are returning a rented vehicle before catching a flight at the Miami International Airport, and you can’t find gas anywhere. You go to one of the stations on Le Jeune Road, but it has no gas. You swing by another one — and nothing. You try yet another station, and it’s surrounded by yellow tape, like the type you see at crime scenes.

Gas shortages at the pumps, caused by a combination of last week’s historic rains in South Florida and the ensuing panic buying craze, could foil your travel plans, and your budget.

Do you keep looking for gas and risk missing your flight?

Or do you return the car on empty? If you don’t return the vehicle with the same amount of gas it had when you picked it up, you may have to pay penalty fees.

READ MORE: What’s behind Miami’s gas shortage and how long will it last? You won’t like the answer

How are Miami car rental companies handling the gas woes?

About half of the clients returning vehicles at Family Auto, located at MIA, are doing so without filling the tank, rental agent Josmy Sosa told the Miami Herald. He said the company is waiving penalty fees for returning cars on empty, charging for gas at market price.

“The situation here is crazy,” Sosa said.

Nearly week-long gas crunch continues. Here’s a look at the pumps, long lines

At SKY auto rental, just east of the airport, many clients are returning vehicles with less gas than what they are supposed to, said manager Hector Aular. He said the agency is not penalizing customers but that those who are picking up cars might have to take them with little gas.

Now that you know this... What can you do?

READ MORE: What’s going on with gas in South Florida? What’s happening with prices? What to know

Check out these tips

Here are some things you can do to avoid headaches:

▪ Before renting, look for the local number of the rental company in Miami, and ask them how they are handling the gas crunch. Can you pre-pay for gas so you can return the vehicle near empty? Are they renting cars with little gas? What is the penalty for bring back a vehicle with an empty tank?

▪ Plan to return your vehicle to the rental agency several hours before your flight. Long lines at gas stations and empty pumps might make your trip longer than anticipated.

▪ Start looking for gas before getting close to the airport. On Tuesday afternoon, several stations just east of the airport didn’t have gas.

▪ Download GasBuddy. The app has activated its “Fuel Availability Tracker” to help drivers find gas stations with fuel and power. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, nearly 58% of gas stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area had no fuel, according to the app.

READ MORE: Can you find gas in Miami? Fuel crisis easing? What to know about supply after the flood

How long will the shortage last?

It may take several days before things return back to normal, and officials are asking the public to not rush to the pumps. At Port Everglades, the hub for about 40% of the gasoline that comes into Florida, nine out of 12 gas terminals as of Wednesday have recovered from last week’s severe flooding and are distributing gas and diesel to retailers in 12 counties south of Lake Okeechobee, including Miami-Dade, Broward, the Keys and Palm Beach.

“By purchasing gas only when you need it, you can help us restore regular service,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.