The going gets tough
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New work at the right rate is getting harder to find, but some other operators’ concerns are easing, according to the Latest Trucking Britain Out Of Recession survey
By Justin Stanton
OPERATORS ARE inding it harder to secure new work at an acceptable rate than they did a year ago, according to the latest Trucking Britain Out Of Recession survey.
A total of 55% of the March survey respondents said they have found it either a little more dificult or much more dificult to secure new work compared with 12 months ago (see table). Just 5% found new work either a little easier or much easier to secure.
Logistics and contract distribution irms suffered slightly more than hire and reward hauliers: 60% of the former reported dificulty, compared with 55% of the latter.
Finding new drivers was the same as ever for a signiicant minority (39%), while 17% found it easier and 18% found it more dificult than a year ago. Operators serving the retail and wholesale sectors have struggled the most to ind new drivers: nearly one third of them (32%), in fact. By contrast, more than a third of operators (35%) in the agriculture, forestry and ishing sectors have found it easier to recruit new drivers.
Buying new or used trucks seems to have caused few issues for operators that are in the market for releeting or increasing their leet. Nearly a ifth of operators (18%) reported inding new vehicles at an acceptable cost to be either a little easier or much easier than 12 months ago.
For those buying used vehicles, that igure slips a little to 15%. For new vehicles, 18% reported greater dificulty, while the igure for used vehicles was 20%.
Operators with the greatest buying power – the largest leets – had the best experience. More than a quarter (27%) reported an easier time acquiring new vehicles, while none of them reported any dificulty.
Banking crisis?
Size can also help when dealing with banks. We asked operators about their relationship with their bank; 82% of the largest leets (those with 51 vehicles or more) reported that relationship is the same as it was 12 months ago, while only 9% reported that it had deteriorated. None of them reported a reduction to their overdraft.
By contrast, the smallest leets (up to 10 vehicles) had the toughest time with their banks: 39% of them reported a relationship that had become worse. More than a ifth of them (22%) said their overdraft has been reduced.
Overall, 19% reported a worse relationship than 12 months ago, 6% an improved relationship, while 63% said it was about the same. ■