Survey by RHA shows lorry operating costs at critical level

With the help of chartered accountants Menzies LLP, the RHA have published documents detailing the current state of the haulage industry. The Association’s annual Pay Report released for the sixth time in January, revealing 79.1% of members who took part in the survey stated they had received pay increases in 2018 which averaged to 2.75% as a median, on a national scale. This means the national average pay increase gained a boost and reached 3.33%.

Firms across the country had a varied pay increase in each region, with 87.5% of those a part of the RHA in the Southern and Eastern regions, meanwhile 62.5% of Scotland and Northern Ireland’s RHA members reported a payrise. A below-average increase, which could mean a tougher economic climate for those areas.
The question in the filled survey which was most responded to was the hourly rate earned by HGV drivers. The results showed a 5.4% increase to £10.54 an hour, £10.82 becoming the mean average (+3%). Also, the research found a demand for younger but equally skilled drivers willing to do the job as the average age of drivers was found at 57 year old. The number is expected to rise further as the Association raised concerns that migrant drivers are returning home due to concerns for Brexit, as the exchange rate of the pound is devalued which has had an impact on wages paid in the UK for international drivers.

The Haulage Cost Movement Survey was also published in December. The results showed the costs of having a 44-tonne truck in operation throughout 2018. Excluding AdBlue and fuel, the cost increased to £104,287, which was a 3.29% increase compared to the previous year. With fuel and AdBlue the increase reached £148,894 in total, an increase of 6.31% on previous records. The Association went on record stating the research “demonstrates the fickle nature that fuel plays in the equation where it rose over the annual period by nearly 12%”.

The survey concluded that while a lot of members of the RHA are using fuel mechanisms to adjust the costs, many aren’t. The research and figures show that the costs have reached above CPI inflation, meaning those operating a HGV are paying more than ever before with the costs reaching a critical point.

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