RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett has written to British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury Secretary), Rishi Sunak, urging him to help thousands of hauliers avoid insolvency.
“Road hauliers are the key workers keeping the economy moving in these extraordinary times,” said Burnett. “They’re keeping the nation fed by keeping shop shelves stocked and making sure the thousands of front-line medical staff are supplied with the PPE they so desperately need, 24/7.”
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The RHA has proposed measures which provide solutions in five areas.
- A 100%, government-backed, invoice financing package (debt support)
- Moving to a weekly furlough of staff to provide a flexible return to businesses
- A suspension of fuel duty and a rebate for hauliers
- A business rates holiday for all hauliers’ sites
- A lorry retention scheme for vehicles not being used (sector specific)
“If the economy is to recover from this, it is important we can switch on the supply chain as individual sectors begin their recovery,” added Burnett.
“No-one knows for sure when that will be, but we must make sure the industry is up and ready to go at very short notice.
“We recognise we need to play the fullest role possible in the UK’s recovery and these measures would ensure we can do just that.”
A recent RHA survey found 46% of the UK’s truck fleet is not operating and 25% of drivers are furloughed.
