Hauliers and transport planning bosses across the UK could face another blow to business today (March 24th) as chancellor Alistair Darling unveils his latest Budget.
The road haulage industry is among those waiting eagerly to see if Mr Darling goes ahead with plans to increase fuel duty by at least 2p a litre from April 1st.
Should the chancellor confirm the hike, fuel duty on petrol and diesel will have risen by an average of one percent every month over the last 16 months.
The Road Haulage Association said such a move would put further pressure on transport planning chiefs at a time when business conditions are already tough.
"The chancellor will be known for an astonishing ratcheting up of duty levels in the depths of recession - and our duty level was already by far the highest in the EU," said director of policy Jack Semple.
He added that transport firms will in turn be forced to press customers for higher rates in order to cover the rising costs.
According to the AA Fuel Price Report for March, average UK petrol prices have already climbed by more than 4p a litre in the past month, taking them to their highest price since July 2008.
