Are We Fuelling Our Way Out Of Recovery?

We all know from personal experience just how painful filling our vehicles at the pumps has become.

It is, therefore, interesting to read just how the recent escalation in fuel prices is affecting the business community and consequently, our economy as a whole.

The campaign group Fair Fuel UK recently surveyed a sample of over 3,500 businesses across the UK. These are some of the main results:

• Almost 90% reported reduced profits.
• Around 45% have had to increase their prices.
• 55% are facing cashflow issues.
• Just over 30% have suffered from a loss in business.
• Around 10% have had to sack staff.
• 25% have suspended employing new staff.
• Almost 45% feel they are unable to increase investment in their businesses.

These figures should clearly demonstrate to the government that the present policy of maintaining high taxation on fuel is failing, Instead, it is harming the very people who should be making that recovery happen – small businesses across the UK.

With another fuel duty rise of 3p per litre (16p per gallon) on the horizon it must surely be time for a rethink.

An outline of the full results can be found here

Games? – What Games?

In case you’ve been living in a bubble for the past few years, I feel it’s my duty to remind you of a major event that’s shortly to take place in the UK.

In just over 80 days time, London will be the epicentre of the sporting world, as we become host nation for the 30th Summer Olympics Games.

For several weeks from July, athletes from around the world will be battling against each other to decide who will win the coveted gold medal for their individual sport.

However, outside of the main arenas, UK businesses will be taking part in their own competitions, by battling against bureaucracy, additional security precautions and the massive disruption to the road and rail networks, whilst attempting to keep their customers supplied and their deliveries made on schedule.

To give you an advance look at the possible ‘form’ of your opposition, and to help you plan your tactics, we have compiled a special mini website Planning Ahead For The Olympics with useful links and information that should help you gain the advantage against your challengers.

CANDY CARRIERS
Helping you to ‘Go For Gold’ during the Olympics period.

Fuel Tax – Is The ‘Real’ Cost Too High?

Chancellor George Osborne says he can’t afford to cut fuel duty. He says the country has ‘run out of money’.

We say he can’t afford NOT to cut fuel duty, or large swathes of UK business won’t survive to help generate the wealth needed for the present recovery, and financial stability of future generations.

No-one could possibly disagree that Britain’s finances require a drastic rethink but clawing back a deficit from taxation alone is not the best solution; it is just the easiest option.

Wealth is generated from a strong business base and a confident market. It comes from a good product being bought by consumers who have the need, and available finance, to buy. Without the wealth at the bottom you don’t have the demand for the product at the top.

Motorists, whether driving professionally, for leisure, or to commute to their workplace, are just an easy target.

On just ONE DAY of last week, our UK operations tracked over 3,000 miles of driving. With an average of 35 miles per gallon, that’s almost 390 litres of fuel raising tax of around £320. That amount is soon to rise even further. Imagine multiplying it by the number of different transport companies you see on the road and you begin to understand why motorists are treated as easy pickings!

Of course, we could pass this ever increasing cost on to our customers, who would then, in turn, pass it on to their own.

However, this is an unsustainable solution and sooner or later the chain is likely to break forcing companies out of business and employees to lose their jobs.

Once that happens, the tax from fuelling the supply chain would disappear, along with the income taxes previously paid by the now redundant workers. Government would probably then have to provide job seeker benefits to those same workers. The overall result? – a bigger deficit in government funds than we started with.

George Osborne says he can’t afford to lose the income provided from the tax on fuel without making additional cuts to public services. However, campaign group Fair Fuel UK commissioned a study which concluded that by reducing fuel duty by 2.5ppl George Osborne would actually grow his income from the creation of 180,000 new jobs.

The government has recently announced a huge increase in infrastructure projects in the UK – including new and improved roads. It does beg the question: what’s the point of building new roads if nobody can afford to drive on them?

Snow-ly Does It!

With the sudden appearance of snow and the sub-zero temperatures of a true winter finally arriving, here are a few suggestions people have made to help get your vehicle moving safely in the morning.

Getting into the vehicle:

The first moment of frustration is often trying to get your key in the lock. Even if you can get the lock to work, you may still find the door won’t open. The rubber seals around the door retain moisture and consequently freeze up. Result? Helpless frustration.

Spraying the seals with a silicone spray (or a thin layer of vaseline) before the cold weather starts (yes….I know….who bothers to think ahead?) prevents the water from absorbing into the rubber and… hey presto….easy opening.

As for the lock itself.… spraying a dash of de-icer onto the key, before inserting it into the lock, is said to alleviate the problem. Failing that, gently pre-heating the key can be a viable alternative.

Seeing out of the vehicle:

Nothing (to me at least) is as annoying as a frozen windscreen. The tedious hand-numbing scraping is just one chore too many in the morning. However, while you may be tempted to create just enough clear glass to be able to see, think again! New rules brought in last year mean you face a hefty fine if all your windows are not kept clear, or if your vehicle’s roof is still showing a covering of snow!

A bowl of warm (not boiling) water can be a speedy solution to clearing the glass but be careful. If the air temperature is too low, the water will re-freeze as you are starting to drive; if the water is too hot, you risk cracking your windscreen.

Similarly, de-icers are OK for clearing a thin covering of ice but they can also re-freeze.

Starting the engine:

Just as you would allow yourself a ‘warm up’ period if you are about to exercise, so you should allow your vehicle’s engine some time to adjust before setting off.

The oil in a cold engine tends to be thicker and the fuel doesn’t burn as efficiently. More energy is normally needed from the battery to turn the engine over.

While it is tempting to start the engine and leave it idling so you can nip back inside your house for a quick cuppa, you are likely to return to find someone has ‘borrowed’ your vehicle whilst you were gone.

Various ‘experts’ recommend you should start your engine, wait for about thirty seconds, and then drive off slowly (if safe to do so) remembering that cold engines emit much more pollution than warm ones. A cautious start also helps you to identify any icy patches before they have you skidding into trouble.

Probably the best tip of all…..allow yourself even more time to set off on a cold winter’s day and think warm!

Safe Driving!!

How Not To Be A Courier – Lesson One!

All couriers have their ‘off’ days – but it seems some have days more ‘off’ than others!

However, at Candy Carriers, all our ‘by air’ deliveries are guaranteed to travel using a plane!

Virtual Courts Giving Drivers Longer Hangovers!

With today being the first day of December and with only three working weeks left until Christmas, the season’s celebrations will soon start to escalate.

Almost everyone gets invited to a party of some sort and the temptation is always present to use your car by reasoning that ”I’ll only have one drink” or “if I drink I’ll get a taxi home”.

Of course, that ‘one drink’ can often lead to ‘just one more’ and that’s when the temptation to gamble often takes over and thoughts like: “the police will be too busy to stop me”, “I am only going to use the back roads” or “I may have had a couple but I feel fine to drive” are likely to enter the head. Decisions always seem easier with a little help from our friendly little ‘alcohol devil’, but the hangover can now last a very long time.

The police, here in Kent, have just launched their Christmas drink driving campaign with a total zero tolerance policy towards anyone stopped, who is either over the legal limit or has been taking drugs.

In past years, if you were stopped and found to be over the limit, it was often weeks before you actually appeared in front of the magistrates to hear your fate. However, this year, things are very different.

Police have announced they will be making full use of ‘virtual court’ technology, where those charged will immediately appear before a magistrate, via a video link, and sentencing will be instant. This means you could lose your licence before you even begin to sober up.

A Kent Police spokesperson stated that around one in six deaths on Kent roads is caused by someone driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He concluded by saying:

‘I would like to urge people to think about their actions, stay safe and be responsible.’

It seems to be reasonable advice if we don’t all want to wake up with more than just the usual party headache!

Wishing you all lots of happy (and safe) partying!!

Fuel Theft – Not Quite Robin Hood!

With the average price of a litre of fuel hitting £1.38 (65% being taxation) for diesel, it is perhaps not too surprising that a growing number of people are prepared to pay for an alternative supply that isn’t legal.

It is, therefore, not that hard for an enterprising criminal community to make a healthy profit by offering highly reduced pricing.

According to a report on the BBC’s Panorama programme  last night, almost a third of all car crime is now accounted for by fuel theft and other related fuel offences.

One illegal supplier in Northern Ireland was said to have been making £22,000 per month by selling stolen diesel from a lock up garage, before his premises were raided, and closed down, by the authorities.

Several legitimate petrol forecourts in the midlands have reportedly been visited during their hours of closing, by criminals who used empty fuel tankers to drain the garage’s main fuel tanks before the garage staff re-opened for business the next morning.

The police have issued a warning that the price of using cheap illegal fuel could turn out to be ultimately much more expensive than the saving. Owners of vehicles caught using illegal fuel – particularly ‘cleaned’ red diesel – will probably have their vehicle seized and face an on the spot fine of £500. In addition, the chemicals used to convert red diesel are likely to severely damage the vehicle’s engine.

The motoring correspondent and campaigner for FairFuelUK, Quentin Willson, says he can understand the dilemma motorists face, particularly when they are in business:

”To be good…and law abiding and go bankrupt or to steal fuel, and I’m not for a minute condoning that, but to be in such a situation I have to say, I’ve got to steal fuel to keep my business going.”

One thing seems certain: with fuel prices continuing to rise, the illegal fuel market is one industry that will continue to thrive, given the present economic conditions!