London, UK: Fuel costs for the average artic have jumped nearly 35% in a year, according to the Road Haulage Association, which is calling again for a 15ppl essential user rebate.
Nick Deal, manager of logistics development at the RHA, said: “Despite diesel prices falling gradually over the past two months, wholesale prices are once again now on the rise. If we look at the average price to fuel a 44-tonne vehicle during 2021 it was £42,533 and year to date that has increased to £57,244.
“That’s a £14,711 per lorry increase simply from one cost element before we even look at driver, lorry prices, or a raft of other inflationary pressures. In percentage terms the fuel bill has increased 34.6% this year compared to last.”
“You cannot absorb increases like this, you have no choice but to pass them on. If you don’t, you’ll go bust – and if you do this becomes part of the inflationary problem we now find ourselves in as a nation.”
The RHA says that taking 15 pence a litre off the cost of fuel for hauliers will lower the cost of goods and services, resulting in a real terms decrease for consumers in the supermarket or high street.
The cut will also reduce inflationary pressures and costs for the end user. The German and other European governments have already done this for the commercial vehicle sector, says the RHA.
