Export business increases
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• International hauliers are winning extra business because of Britain's poorly valued pound, according to the Department of Transport.
Its latest figures show a 5.5% increase in international truck movements between 1994 and 1995—UK-registered goods vehicles made 503,000 round trips abroad. UK hauliers gained from a 7% increase in exported goods, compared with a 4% increase in imports.
Hauliers took on this extra work without significantly raising their costs, although they may be working their vehicles harder. Separate figures on vehicle licensing released simultaneously by the DOT show only a 0.5% rise in the number of LGVs registered between 1994 and 1995.
The UK vehicle pare included 418,000 heavy goods vehicles and 1.95m light vans at the end of 1995, including 311,000 rigids and 107,000 artics.
With truck sales growing 7"o year on year, the figures suggest that hauliers are only buying trucks to replace those that have outlived their usefulness. Further support for that view comes from a comparison with truck licences in 1989, when a healthier industry supported 478,000 vehicles-13% more than the current level.
Around 1.5 million unaccompanied trailers moved in and out of the country last year the most common loads were agricultural produce and foodstu!