5p c rise
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OPERATING costs in haulage rose by 4.85 per cent in the first three months of 1982, according to the Road Haulage Association.
The costs were hit by the Budget in March and will be affected by the recent wage negotiations, said Hugh Stewart of the RHA.
He said that it is not yet known whether the Government's White Paper proposals on lorries, people, and the environment will push up the costs once more, as little research had been done in this area.
During the next few months it is difficult to say whether costs will go up or remain static. Fuel costs are most likely to push operating costs up, Mr Stewart said, but apart from that, it is too soon to tell what will happen.
Profit margins have been eroded during the past few years so far that hauliers cannot continue to operate solely by increasing charges in line with cost increases, he continued.