Hauliers 'driven to breaking point' by diesel prices

8:15pm Tuesday 25th March 2008

Comments (7)   Have your say »

Rocketing diesel prices are causing big problems for local road hauliers.

Recent figures revealed the cost for a litre at the pumps has risen to an all-time high.

Motorists with diesel-powered vehicles are suffering from faster rises than those hitting petrol-driven car owners, according to the AA.

The average price of diesel in the UK is now 114.25p a litre - a near-5p rise on the average price a month ago.

Company owners in Bolton who have large fleets of trucks and HGVs have spoken about their fears for the future.

Warren Steel, of W Johnson in Roxalina Street, Bolton, said: "It is an horrendous time. Costs are spiralling and spiralling.

"It will continue to drive the cost of transport up and in the end it all comes back to the taxpayer."

And Tom Harwood, owner of Thomas Harwood and Son Ltd, based in Church Street, Little Lever, said: "We have no control over it and just have to go along with it all."

Some firms have lost work to foreign hauliers whose trucks are full of cheaper European fuel.

Bill Burgess, co-owner of Burgess Brothers in Western Street, Great lever, said: "Some of our customers are sympathetic but a lot know they can have freight transported cheaper by foreign drivers.

"Their fuel is half as cheap as ours and we can't compete."

Mr Burgess added that foreign drivers who had brought loads from the continent would stay in the UK until they found work through freight brokers.

Meanwhile others are also feeling the pinch. Families with two cars are now dealing with a £36.93 hole in their monthly budgets from the extra cost of petrol compared with the same period in 2007.

The cheapest petrol at present is in Yorkshire and Humberside (106.7p a litre on average), while the dearest is in London (107.6p).

Wales has the highest-priced diesel (115.1p) while the least expensive is to be found in North-west England (113.6p).

The AA suggests drivers should try supermarkets where the average price is 111.64p a litre. Supermarket petrol averages 105.18p a litre at present.

AA president Edmund King said: "The dash for diesel continues in the UK, with motorists primarily trying to reduce their fuel costs, but with the added benefit of reduced CO2 emissions.

"However, diesel is more expensive than petrol and the differential is growing. Consequently, buying a diesel is not an automatic switch to cut-price motoring - particularly at current prices."