By Gary Cooper

AN ANGUS haulage company boss told how he is being driven to despair over the soaring price of fuel—the spark for yesterday’s protests south of the border.

Alan Davie admitted that keeping 20 trucks moving five to six days a week has rocketed an eye-watering £22,000 a month in diesel costs alone since February.

Mr Davie, who set up the transport company which bears his name nearly 30 years ago, said escalating fuel prices were killing Scottish industry.

He runs his business from East Happas Farm, Inverarity, near Forfar, a location which, like his fellow north-east counterparts, is proving costly geographically.

“We have at least 300 miles to cover before we even begin to reach the start of the customer base in England,” Mr Davie explained.

“Most of our loads are for down south and there is a big disadvantage in hauling down there because of the distances involved and the high cost of fuel.

“The way fuel prices are going is killing industry in Scotland and something needs to be done urgently.”

Among the destinations for Mr Davie’s operation is Cambridge, where running a 44-tonne truck, one way, has jumped a staggering £56 in diesel costs alone in the past three months.

And this does not include the added financial burden of AdBlue, a chemical costing 28p a litre which new lorries are required to fill up with to tackle exhaust emissions.

Mr Davie continued, “The price of tyres has also gone up by 20%, because the price of fuel has gone up.

“Drivers are needing more wages because their cost of living has gone up. You just need to look at the rise in mortgages and the weekly messages bill at the supermarket to see that.”

The haulage chief has so far found sympathy from his customers as he attempts to pass on the fuel rises to them.

“They are aware of what we’re facing because the fuel crisis has been well publicised but, as soon as you go cap-in-hand to them, the prices go up even further the following day.

“You just can’t keep up with it.

“But what happens is our customers pass on the rises they face to their customers and so it filters down the line to the man on the street.

“I just don’t know where this is going to stop until the Government takes a hold.”

Mr Davie is in favour of an essential fuel users’ rebate, but suggested the subsidy be administered by those firms who use road transport.

“To prevent any misuse, it could be handed to businesses who need stuff shifted by lorry and they would pass it on to us,” he added.

*Pictured: Lorries on the A90 yesterday.