How much would people on this newsgroup be prepared to pay for a gallon of fuel?

Chris Bartram gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Funny how it all balances out to 2% inflation, isn't it?

It's enough to get a good conspiracy theory going...

Because for some wierd reason, the customer dictates how much they'll=20 pay to a point. You're also competing with foreigners running on=20 cheaper diesel.

--=20 Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't=20 looking good either. - Scott Adams

Because the lorries I drive typically do 8MPG and have 400 litre tanks with a lot of the work being everywhere within 4hrs driving of Hull. It isn't financially viable to. If you run 1500 litre tanks, there's the weight penalty to think of.

It only works for those based in the South East.

They still couldnT compete with Eastern european wage costs

i have vat on desiel is far higher in most eu states but is reclaimable if your vat registered in that country so the effective net cost of fuel is far lower ,

It also depends on what vehicles they are driving and from where the goods are being delivered , if they are driving petrol tankers they can earn 50000 a year general haulage is far less , i can get 5 tonne load delivered from elland in yorkshire to ross on wye for £280.00

We were paying that 5 years ago , the only difference bieng the company now only employs polish drivers who work through an employment agency based in poland , you can bet your last pound they are not being paid the minimum wage as they are not subject to uk wage laws

But you've not done the maths. 8MPG, 400-500l tanks. Tell me how its viable for any company save those based or having loads in the SE?

Depends on your definition of a good wage. Currently I'm on =A39.50/hr.

--=20 Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't=20 looking good either. - Scott Adams

Because they are still paying uk rates to the drivers who are also covered by the maximium driving hours legislation , and you add another ferry journey into the equation , the eu drivers rarely go over to the continient empty .

The maxium fuel carrying capacity of uk wagons is often different to the eastern european wagons , quite common for them to run with large belly tanks under thier trailers

I have a friend that used to have wagons doing continental runs it was standard proceedure for them to come back to the uk full of fuel then the nightwatchman used to empty the wagons tanks overnight into his uk fleet , leaving his trucks just enough to get to calais again to fill up , he reckoned it saved him over £250000 a year

And then...

So it seems to me that in the south east people have to compete with people who buy cheap deseil on the continent, and people in Hull do not. So where is the problem? If it is cheaper to buy fuel abroad buy fuel abroad and compete, if it is cheaper to buy fuel here then buy fuel here and compete. If you need to shedule jobs between hull and dover to make use of the traveling time, be more flexable and do that. I know the "fuel torist" solution is far from ideal, especially for the environment and the exchequer, but for the indavidual company involved it has to be better than closure.

I am sure there is something else at work here, the people in charge of these companies must have thought of this. I want to know what it is, and find it hard to accept the "blame the foreigner" reason that crops up so commonly.

Big difference in net cost , the cost by the ports is always high stupid toursits fill up thinking they have saved money --

I was just going to say about this scam. A few agencies are using it now.

Company makes booking with local office. Local office checks with "Warsaw branch" (one room with desk and phone) whether any of the Polish drivers nearby are available and if they are, they're sent on the job. They're paid by the Polish branch which is, on paper, acting as a subcontractor for the local branch but because the employees are classed as being employed by the Warsaw branch being given the work from there, they're not subject to NMW laws in this country.

I suspect this may not last because many Polish drivers don't like it and its getting a lot of other agencies backs up.

I say again, if you cannot compete on wages then do something about it. Do not expect everyone else to support an unecconomic industry. The europe wide competion for labour has made everyone have to think about their competativness.

And if the EU drivers can find loads to take over the channel, then why can uk drivers not?

That is a very good issue. I thought regulations concerning HGV's had been standardised accross europe, for things like this and also driving hours (and speed limits, hence the 56 mph limit). If this standardisation has not taken place, then should that not be the subject of the protests?

There, a change to business practice that alows uk companies to compete. If people are willing to be flexable I cannot see why the UK cannot compete perferctly well.

Customers dictate collection and delivery points and times not the haulage companies , if the company we use couldnt deliver when i want then we call someone else who will

I can get a pole that will do it for £2.00 thats were the problem lies and he will sleep in his cab and not want any overnight allowance

Many eastern eruopean drivers will happliy work for 10p per mile some will take as little as 5 p per mile ,

And how is that diferent for the poles that are undercutting the UK companies?

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

So how is it viable for Johnny Foreigner? C'mon, Conor, surely the same basic maths apply...?

I think this is it. As in so many other industries people from eastern europe are willing to work harder for less money than UK nationals. In the end this will make the UK more efficent and able to compete on a global level. It will make life harder for some people in the short term, but in the long term it will mean that the uk is a player in the global ecconomy rather that some protectionist backwater trying and failing to get rich washing each others clothes.

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Only as far as somebody's willing to supply for that price. If nobody was, the price would either go up or the goods wouldn't get shifted.

But you just told us cheap diesel didn't apply to people doing runs like yours in your area. Make your mind up.

"steve robinson" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

So why can't UK hauliers?

KotR is always going on about his long distance runs - tank up on the continent on the way back, then swap trucks for tomorrow with the guy who's doing a Scotland run, whilst he heads off on the ferry empty. Easy.

So why can't UK hauliers...?

ISTR they're not allowed any more. Well, not on our side of the border anyway, which means they can't get any benefit from them.

clive