Fuel Shortage
To quote or not to quote? That is the question. With petrol stations dry, sole traders are having to delay or cancel quotes as they don’t have the fuel to visit leads. Given the choice, traders are staying closer to home, and it’s unclear at this stage how much impact this will have on future opportunities.
The delay in deliveries has also brought some factories to a halt, as they do no have the fuel they need to operate machinery.
But why is this happening now? One reason is the number of drivers on the road.
In late September, it was revealed that the DVLA is currently processing 54,000 HGV licenses. Of that total, 50,000 are license renewals, and this delay is bringing supply chains down across the UK. And it’s not just petrol!
Gas prices have also soared in recent weeks, and are set to add an extra 33% to energy bills.
To date, this jump has forced steel plants to halt production, putting thousands of jobs on the line. Paper and ceramic factories have also slowed down output as there isn’t enough gas to keep production at full capacity.
Tradesman Talk
As always we are keen to know what you think.
Sole-traders, are you cancelling quotes to save fuel and being forced to increase rates?
Business owners, are you having to limit machine use, and slow down production?
Share your story in the comments below.
