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 
WE NEED LEADERSHIP!
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Its so predictable it would be boring if it were not so serious. What is Mr X talking about? Fuel prices of course or to be strictly accurate, the effect of price rises on our bottom lines...
After more than 30 years in the industry one cannot help but feel a sense of déjà vu each time some despot stirs up a conflict in some arid wasteland that happens to have liquid gold beneath its crust. Shells start hitting their targets, politicians pontificate, and very soon after the fuel companies start their ritual of press leaks about OPEC and the rocketing cost of crude oil.
Just when you think you might not have to go on bended knees to your customers (or your bank manager) Bingo! The price goes through the roof and everyone panics, sending conflicting messages to all and sundry.
We need that strong leadership. Fuel prices have risen almost 10% in less than 13 weeks and I'm still waiting to hear anything positive on the subject from either the RHA or FTA. Where on earth are they? What are they doing? What purpose do they have if not to protect the people who fund them? It's no wonder those with more brawn than brains are talking about direct action. No doubt the FTA will refute this argument by saying they are talking "at top levels" in government circles, and a "statement is imminent".
Maybe so, but unless you are fortunate enough to have a fuel-escalator in your contract, many well-respected transport companies in the UK will be bleeding to death.
If we had that strong leadership we should be seeing regular statements from these trade associations, published in the national press in simple, unambiguous terms, giving guidelines to the purchasers of road transport. To coin a wellworn phrase, it's not rocket science.
When a base product in any other industry you care to mention goes up 10% the customer hears about it pretty quickly! So why do we have so much procrastination when it comes to covering our costs with a fuel-escalator? Is the answer more sinister? Is it in the interests of government to keep us divided, without strong leadership? Are we pawns in a game of low inflation figures?
Come on FTA and RHA, get out there and bang the gong help us all to stay in business.We haven't much time left!