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Supply chains under strain as road transport prices reach April record

3.6% haulage price rise pushes overall prices up, even with diesel costs falling

The latest data from the TEG Road Transport Price Index has revealed that haulage and courier prices increased slightly from March to April. With haulage prices up 3.6% and courier prices up 2%, this follows the pattern of the last four years, except for the immediate aftermath of Covid-19. Year-on-year, haulage prices are actually 2% down, but courier prices are 3.6% higher, leaving the overall index slightly up on its April 2022 level. In the face of stubborn inflation, driver shortages and supply chain troubles, it seems falling diesel costs haven’t been enough to keep prices down. Recent analysis revealed that the UK economy is losing £12 billion a year to supply chain issues. When supply chain costs spiral, they affect businesses’ bottom lines, which is often reflected in price rises being passed onto customers. For example, even though haulage prices are 2% down, year-on-year, hauliers are having to charge 11% more than they did four years ago.

Businesses can lessen the impact of supply chain issues through integrated digitisation. With a quarter of the UK’s trucks running empty, digitisation can help hauliers looking to share truck space and create efficiencies.

Lyall Cresswell, CEO of Integra, says: “Falling diesel prices is very welcome news for the industry. It reduces a dayto-day expense for everyone, making every mile cheaper.

“But it’s clear that there are more permanent problems prices. One of those is the driver shortage, so it’s encouraging to see the government acting on this.”