More oil hikes hit hauliers yet again
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• Predicted diesel price increases are hitting hauliers even sooner than expected due to the combined effects of increased seasonal demand and production restrictions by oil producers.
Pat McCracken, financial director of bulk haulage contractor Sandy McCracken & Son in Scotland, says its weekly fuel bill has risen by nearly £700 since the beginning of this month: "It is horrific. We are trying to compete against hauliers registered in Southern Ireland who buy their fuel there. If you go to customers and say you want a fuel surcharge they will say they know someone who will do it at the current rate."
She says the bulk price per litre has risen from 59.37p to 62.39p since the beginning of this month, an increase of 5%. Her company, based near Hamilton, operates 25 tippers.
The Road Haulage Association says the price of fuel is now 20% higher than this time last year and argues that this month's hike further strengthens the case for an essential user rebate.
Production restrictions by OPEC, the consortium of leading oil exporters, have pushed up the price of a barrel of crude oil from an average of $11.07 (£6.84) to around $25 (£15.44) since January ( CM 18-24 November).
Barbara Peen, spokesperson for BP, says the impact of these increases was strengthened by increased seasonal demand for domestic heating and transport. "Scotland tends to be at the higher end of the price range because it is remote and more expensive to supply."