1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216 
Yorkshire hauliers are stifled by red tape and foreign competition
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A COMBINATION of red tape and stiff competition from European businesses is hitting Yorkshire and Humberside haulage firms hard.
A survey by accountancy firm Garbutt & Elliott of 60 logistics and distribution firms in the region shows 62% fear the burden of legislation, high fuel duty and increasing competition will have an adverse affect on their futures.
Of the small and medium-sized operators,30% say their main goal for the future is to survive, while 43% identify diversification or development of a niche offering as their solution to the sector's current woes.
Jeremy Oliver, director at Garbutt & Elliott, which has offices in York and Leeds, says the company works for a number of hauliers in the region and as a result takes an interest in the sector.
Most of the firm's clients are small family-owned operators and many have been involved in acquisition activity.
-We are mindful to help our clients look forward to what's around the corner as well as the bigger picture," Oliver says.
The firm carried out the research so it could position itself to put something back into the sector, "If [can bring some sense to my clients and perhaps show them how other companies in their sector are addressing the same issues, then I'm adding value rather than just turning up to do the accounts and telling them how much tax they have to pay"