The FTA has called for flexible commercial deals between transport supplier and customer, which can flex with changing diesel prices.
With the cost of fuel constituting up to 30 per cent of the operating cost of a lorry, the FTA argues that it is not possible for the lorry operator to consume increases in such fuel costs and that price rises should be shared between supplier and customer.
FTA chief executive Richard Turner said that the government and the industry have been slow to learn the lessons of the 2000 fuel crisis. He said: “We need to be grown up about the situation we find ourselves in and seek commercial arrangements with our customers that can flex with diesel prices.
“Also, we need to work with government to eliminate policy shocks and create a common support agenda that encourages productivity. In return the government must work with the industry to create a fair, competitive environment, and a reliable infrastructure. This must begin with abandoning plans for a diesel duty increase on September 1.”
No comments yet