The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has written to the chancellor ahead of his 2014 Autumn Statement this week (3 December), urging him to cut fuel duty by 3p per litre.
In its letter, the association points out that fuel accounts for almost 40% of the cost of running a 44-tonne truck. The FTA also states that a 1p increase in fuel duty could add £480 per year to the running cost of every lorry.
At its current rate, fuel duty costs industry around £6.74 billion per year, says the FTA, calling this "a barrier to fair competition" for UK hauliers versus their European counterparts.
"The UK diesel duty rate is 24p per litre higher than the average rate across the EU," says Karen Dee, FTA's director of politics.
The FTA is also calling for a student loan system, similar to that for university students, to fund vocational training in the sector.
