Lenham Storage enjoyed a ‘successful’ year’s trading in the 12 months to 31 August 2015, but the driver shortage remained a challenge.

In the directors’ notes to its annual accounts, Lenham said it had struggled with the recruitment of both category C and category C+E qualified drivers during the period.

It meant a greater reliance on agency drivers to meet an increase in activity during the year, which pushed up its cost of sales. This was partially tempered by a fall in fuel prices.

Lenham flagged up the imposition of the living wage from April gone as a challenge for what is now its current trading period.

Driver training and recruitment will, as for many hauliers, remain its other challenge, the directors said.

Combined turnover for Lenham Storage and Lenham Storage (Southern), its subsidiary company, was £42.2m in the period, up more than 10% on last year (2014: £38.3m).

Pre-tax profit increased 27% to £668,954 (2014: 528,668).

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