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

Ramage went to the wall 4 weeks ago - not for lack of work. Quite a few are going to the wall - again, not for lack of work. Many make their money out of storage - the haulage side running at=20 break even or very small profit. There was a large haulier who made a pre-tax profit of =A371k last year=20 and has had to put up with a rise in fuel of =A3250 a week per lorry. I=20 wonder what this years figures will be.

Most of it is UK haulage with UK drivers. THere's only a few thousand=20 foreign drivers and around 1500 foreign lorries on the road at any=20 time.

BUT the number is set to increase thanks to the fact that the Govt is=20 to relax the rules on cabotage. At the moment, foreign hauliers can=20 only get backload and export work. Soon they're going to be allowed a=20 free for all. Expect Willi Betz and Nobby Dentedangle to bring more=20 into the UK.

And then there's the road safety issue but I guess you don't give a=20 shit about that though eh?

--=20 Conor

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

Conor its obvous that adrian doesnt live in the real world has never run a business has no idea of operating costs or the fact that legislation and taxation is often skewed against us in the uk

Is that the same money they are having to spend now to replace the wagons with euro iv compatable vehicles

Oh you mean the 80's glory days where there was an oversupply of drivers?

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It's obviously not a major issue, then.

i picked up on that a couple of weeks ago , a tv programme showed a hungarian lorry no tread on his tyres and some with all the internal structures poking out the rubber , the driver wasnt arrested or fined just told to get them fixed

A uk driver would have been sacked by his company , possibly lose his driving licence or lost his operators licence for having a vehicle in that condition if he was an owner operator

Showed some drivers who hadnt slept in twenty four hours

The foriegn drivers are having 10 times the accidents that uk drivers are

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No, I mean the ones you've been boasting about over the last couple of years... Unless your posts aren't entirely consistent and truthful? Odd.

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No, I mean the ones you've been boasting about over the last couple of years... Unless your posts aren't entirely consistent and truthful? Odd.

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

So why aren't truck drivers from other EU countries having to comply with those same European regulations?

Anyway, if the wagon's leased, it doesn't matter much - because they'd have been replacing it at the end of the lease anyway.

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

Must cost 'em a fortune in downtime. Good job that's something UK truckers don't have to cope with.

Sorry - missed a zero out. It's 15000 per day or 1/30th of the UK registered fleet (which includes those sat unused in workshops and vehicle rental yards).

Currently they're only allowed to undertake adhoc or unplanned work. Soon they'll be allowed to undertake contracted work.

But that doesn't bother Adrian.

Conor gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Quite the opposite. If VOSA enforcement is being applied inconsistently, then that's obviously a major issue.

It's not quite what you've posted in the past, though, with VOSA everywhere ready to pounce on a trucker and confiscate the truck at a moment's notice, truckers being so much safer than car drivers etc. etc.

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

There, my friend, you'd be wrong. It's nearly a decade since I had a "proper job".

As for operating costs - I even pay rent on business premises. It's so much more professional than having my home address on my website. You should try it.

Many owner drivers don't lease.

There aren't enough VOSA inspectors to check a sufficient amount of foreign lorries in the areas they operate. They asked for more money to pay for more inspectors but were told to piss off.

Thanks to the way policing works in this country as well, the police tend not to bother chasing foreign lorries for most offences as it costs too much time/money to pursue them.

UK drivers in UK registered wagons are much safer. One merely needs to look at my "Cyclops car" thread to see just how well cars are looked after.

In message , Conor writes

An aside, what happened to the PC support Conor? I thought you only did the hairy arse bit whilst you were doing your MS exams?

My home is my registered address , why shouldnt i use it , its convienent for both me and my customers , 99% of the work i undertake is on the customers own premises , i dont need an office at the joinery shop .I get far more done in my office at home , i can work the hours i want to suite me