Haulage News

Oil price fixing investigations welcomed

European Commission investigations into alleged price fixing by a number of oil giants have been welcomed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and Fair Fuel UK.

Following raids into the offices of the oil companies in questions, there are claims that prices have been fixed for more than a decade. European Commission officials said its investigators made the "unannounced inspections" on Tuesday amid claims that collusion between companies may have occurred in a bid to distort prices.

Fuel duty pledge welcomed

The prime minister’s decision to “keep going” to block any rises in fuel duty before 2015 have been broadly welcomed.

Speaking earlier in the week during a local election campaign, Mr Cameron indicated that there will be no more duty rises before the next general election, unless there is a sharp fall in the price of petrol.

Hauliers looking to increase workforces

Almost seven in 10 transport and logistics firms in the UK have plans to increase the size of their workforce in 2013, a new survey has revealed.

In the same survey from 2012, just under half of respondents indicated they would be creating new jobs, so it is a notable year-on-year rise in employment intentions.

Another piece of good news coming from the survey was that only 21% were planning to make job cuts over the next year, suggesting that hauliers have come through the worst of the economic storm of the last few years.

Budget 2013 – Rise in fuel duty?

Thousands of small firms across the UK could see their annual fuel bill rise by up to £4,000, if the proposed 3p rise in fuel duty is given the green light in the Budget 2013.

Figures from Lex Autolease indicate that a typical SME or haulier running a fleet of approximately 20 vans each covering 30,000 miles per year could see fuel costs rise by more than £300 a month in September due to the planned fuel duty hike.

Public back cut in fuel duty

Three times as many people are in favour of a fuel duty cut over a restoration of the 10p tax income band, pressure body FairFuelUK has revealed.

In a poll carried out following Labour’s announcement that it would bring back the 10p band, the majority felt a 14p cut in fuel duty would be more beneficial to the economy.

Spokesman for FairFuelUK, Quentin Willson, felt that the Chancellor should seriously consider the overriding view of the public in the upcoming March budget.

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