RAISE RATES!
Page 26
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With reference to the fuel rebate initiative being fought on our behalf by the RHA, I would like to comment on one major point that has been overlooked; namely rates.
While I applaud Steven Norris and his team, and have supported them by sending trucks to rallies, to quote an old saying, I think they are banging their heads against a brick wall: namely, the Labour Government.
I can see no movement by John Prescott or the Government towards the RHA
scheme on fuel. Their thinking on the subject is to raise taxes on fuel to force lorries off the road, which in turn will clean up the environment and will please certain members of the general public who do not like heavy lorries.
I also think that we are an easy target for Prescott to raise taxes to blow on more harebrained schemes too numerous to mention.
The challenge to the haulage industry, if it wishes to survive the next fuel increase, and assuming the Government does its worst at the next Budget (as I believe it will), is to act very positively on rates.
If every haulage company were to put up its rates on the day of the Budget by the percentage increase imposed by the Government, there would be no fear of losing work to competitors or road blockading. But as Mr Jordan pointed out ( CM 26 Nov-2 Dec 1998), no one will stick together.
As a transport company all our money for the past three years has gone to pay fuel cost increases and not extra money for the drivers, fitters, or indeed ourselves, with no real investment on trucks and trailers and workshops.
David Hardiman,
Managing director, CB Morgan (Shaftesbury), Shaftesbury. Dorset.