Transport firms are calling for action following the closure of two more family-run hauliers hit by rising fuel costs, regulatory demands, driver shortages and a stuttering economy.
Yorkshire-based Roger Petch Transport, a family-run firm that had been in business for 15 years, has appointed liquidators.
The haulier, which appointed administrators on 9 April, was founded in 2010 and specialised in the bulk transport of sand, stone, gypsum, plastic pellets, ash, coal, and biomass. It has an operating licence for 25 trucks and 30 trailers.
Lincolnshire-based J Bradshaw & Sons, which traded as Bradshaws Transport, has also closed down recently, after 141 years specialising in haulage and warehousing. The business, which was based in Sturton-by-Stow in Lincoln, cited sustained pressure on margins which hit profitability and hampered investment. A voluntary winding up process to sell its assets saw the final auction of its entire fleet by Commercial Vehicle Auctions in Doncaster last week.
The latest closures come in the wake of the recently reported demise of North Yorkshire heavy haulage specialist GCS Johnson, underlining the ongoing pressures facing the sector. The firm had been trading for 57 years and had an operating licence for 30 trucks and 60 trailers. The company employed around 37 staff.
The closures reflect the challenges faced by the UK haulage sector, which has seen high failure rates recently due to rising operational costs, such as fuel and maintenance, coupled with falling rates.
Kevin Hopper, MD of Brian Yeardley Continental, lamented the demise of the three companies on LinkedIn this week, prompting heartfelt responses from the sector.
Hopper commented: “A real tragedy as another local haulier goes to the wall.” Pointing to the three companies and noting their longevity, he added: “And all the government wants to talk about is zero emissions and electric trucks.”
He added: “What about the businesses who deliver the produce? The UK transport community is the forgotten industry - never been on any UK government’s radar and never will be!”
Responding to Hopper’s comment, Craig Foster, CLF Commercials director, called for the appointment of government ministers and officials that have experience of the transport industry.
“The trouble is it needs someone in government to come from a transport industry background; someone who has passion for the industry; someone who understands the industry,” he commented.
“If a farmer can use red diesel why can’t the person who is delivering the produce use red deisel in their fridge trailers? No one is putting any points across to government on any factor that is affecting the transport industry.”
Dean Hawke, Trucklink.EU operations manager, called for hauliers to be more selective in the work they accept. “Only the smart and strong will retain their business in 2026 - 2027,” he commented.
“Fuel surcharge is a key starting point. Manage that correctly and you are on the right course. And when the big boys offer you cheap backloads to get your driver back, learn to say NO. The more you do this then that may be a good start.”
Adrian Pretlove, director at Pretloves Removal and Storage services, pointed to the government’s current tax regime as a key factor. “Sad news but how is anyone going to make money when the government keep increasing taxes and other costs without any idea of where it is coming from because in a tight economy and competitive market nobody can pass it on and recover the increases?
“I would say most companies are surviving on the reserves that they might have built up when things were better. Until there is somebody in government who has actually run a business and understands business itself, things won’t change.”
