The RHA has urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to announce a fuel duty rebate for hauliers in his Budget Statement on 11 March.
The Association said an ‘essential user rebate’ of 15 pence per litre – which would effectively cut fuel duty to German levels – would make UK businesses more competitive.
Launching the RHA’s Budget Submission, chief executive, Richard Burnett said that UK hauliers are competing for business at a disadvantage to overseas operators who can undercut UK rates by coming to the UK with tanks full of cheaper fuel.
On the UK’s transition from EU membership, Mr Burnett said firms can’t confidently prepare for new trading realities until the Government clarifies what new customs processes will look like. He urged the Chancellor to support firms training staff for new customs work by covering the full costs of at least their first 12 weeks of employment.
He also restated his call for planned tariffs on imported trucks from the EU to be scrapped, pointing out that a tax on new lorries will make it harder for the sector to continue replacing older vehicles.
The Government must learn from clean air policy failures whilst devising a plan to get to net zero carbon, Mr Burnett warned. He urged officials to work with the sector to help realise those ambitions; policies must be focused on the needs of businesses and people.
The RHA also calls for apprenticeship system reform in the Budget. The sector has only been able to draw down on £20m of the £360m it’s paid into the Apprenticeship Levy, and urges the Chancellor to ensure the Association’s Road to Logistics initiative – which aims to bring new talent into the industry – can draw on Levy funding.
Mr Burnett said the Government must invest in the road network and called for lorry parking provision to be included in all road improvement schemes. The RHA estimates there’s a shortage of 11,000 spaces.
