Don’t just blame high fuel prices for all the industry’s problems
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I’M DISAPPOINTED that the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has blamed fuel prices for the recession, when, in fact, hauliers would be quite happy with whatever the cost of fuel is – if they were able to pass this on to the customer.
However, customers tell the haulier what price they will pay for haulage, not what it costs to transport the goods.
The so-called competitive market pits haulier against haulier to bring their costs down to the bare minimum. When fuel goes up, that cost is not able to be passed on! Hauliers should unite against rates for work done, not fuel, and organisations like the RHA should champion this rather than fuel costs.
If fuel went down, then firms would expect rates to go down! Hauliers would be no better off. The bulk of goods moved round the country are moved by small fleets: these are the guys suffering, not your ‘Eddie Stobarts’ of this world who haul to get the storage. Customers expect small companies to haul for nought, but they have no storage. When will the industry wake up to this? Soon, I hope.
All we need is for all drivers to take the same week off on holiday, then we’ll see who keeps the wheels of industry moving.
Then drivers might have some respect, instead of the “poo on the shoe” attitude that the public and authorities have for LGV drivers. Name and address withheld by request