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TONY WE'LL BE
Page 8
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WATCHING...
If Tony Blair 's promise to review September's planned fuel duty increase is just a cynical piece of electioneering, then be warned, Tony: you will have one extremely annoyed road transport industry on your hands come September!
If Tony Blair 's promise to review September's planned fuel duty increase is just a cynical piece of electioneering, then be warned, Tony: you will have one extremely annoyed road transport industry on your hands come September!
If Tony Blair 's promise to review September's planned fuel duty increase is just a cynical piece of electioneering, then be warned, Tony: you will have one extremely annoyed road transport industry on your hands come September!
With that caveat expressed we broadly welcome the government's action to lobby for increased oil supplies from the Middle East and the decision to review the duty increase. Clearly this should be seen as an indication that the strength of this industry is recognised by those in power. Along with the rest of the road transport sector, Commercial Motor will be watching closely to ensure those promises are met. Forgive us if we appear cynical but, for those of you that can it might be worth hedging as far forward as possible on fuel at current prices.
With that caveat expressed we broadly welcome the government's action to lobby for increased oil supplies from the Middle East and the decision to review the duty increase. Clearly this should be seen as an indication that the strength of this industry is recognised by those in power. Along with the rest of the road transport sector, Commercial Motor will be watching closely to ensure those promises are met. Forgive us if we appear cynical but, for those of you that can it might be worth hedging as far forward as possible on fuel at current prices.
With that caveat expressed we broadly welcome the government's action to lobby for increased oil supplies from the Middle East and the decision to review the duty increase. Clearly this should be seen as an indication that the strength of this industry is recognised by those in power. Along with the rest of the road transport sector, Commercial Motor will be watching closely to ensure those promises are met. Forgive us if we appear cynical but, for those of you that can it might be worth hedging as far forward as possible on fuel at current prices.
Any respite from mounting fuel costs has come too late for Range International, the well-known North London heavy haulage outfit. The company went into voluntary liquidation last week; its kit will be sold off at the end of the month. Rising costs and the loss of a major contract are given as the reasons for the winding up.
The fear of losing business is one of the reasons respondents to our survey this week gave for not being able to pass the rising fuel costs onto their customers. Fewer than 20% of the operators we spoke to had been able to pass on the costs , which means the vast majority of operators are having to absorb the fuel rise and see further erosion of their bottom line.
Some will take a view that absorbing the cost is good for customer relations and will give them a competitive edge; for others it will simply mean staring at an ever-slimmer profit margin. If you want to stay in business, you'll have to take a tough business decision and they don't come much tougher than Mark Range's.
• Finally, it's your last chance to enter our fantastic Eurostriker football competition and be in with a chance of winning £1,000. The deadline for entries is Saturday; check out the details on page 20.