FURIOUS Fylde hauliers fear the brakes will be slammed on their businesses after a bludgeoning Budget pushed up the price of diesel fuel.

Area manager of the Road Haulage Association Limited, Chris Fylan, believes this could be the end of the road for many big-wheelers.

He said: "The effect of this latest increase in duty on diesel will be the final nail in the coffin for some small haulage companies and eliminate any hope of making a profit for the remainder.

"This increase comes on top of the constant rise in fuel prices since August of this year, with the cost of diesel rising by approximately eight per cent."

Angry owner/operator, Peter Marshall, of old established Blackpool family firm T & M Marshall based at Dickies Lane, said: "This increase on diesel is absolutely outrageous and it will cripple many companies, without the price of fuel going up the haulage game is expensive enough.

"It is now going to empty my pockets by an extra £1,800 to £2,500 per truck per year. I'm definitely not a happy man."

To make up for the increase on fuel prices the RHA is warning that UK manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers will have to pay more to get their goods to market - which will inevitably end up being paid for by consumers and damage inward investment.

RHA director general Bryan Colley said: "The haulage industry was expecting a hammering on fuel duty and our worst fears have been confirmed. The rise will cost the industry an extra £281 million a year."

Disheartened Chris Fylan added: "In the past hauliers have had to absorb any price increases because customers refused to accept fuel surcharges on their invoices. Now, I'm afraid the industry has reached saturation point.

"Hauliers will have to be paid reasonable rates for their work or else more and more lorry firms will go out of business, which will cause the chaotic knock-on effect of leaving an insufficient amount of vehicles to move goods to shops."

The RHA is the only organisation which represents the total interests of the UK's professional hauliers who employ more than 250,000 men and women.

The UK's trade and industry is heavily dependent on the RHA's 10,000 member companies for the movement of materials and products both in the UK and abroad.

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