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Uncertain future for Buncrana
haulier
03.06.08
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent
THE FUTURE of a Buncrana road haulage company has
been cast into doubt following the loss of the
firm’s major contract in May. Donal Bradley, who has
operated Donal Bradley Transport since 1999, says
rising fuel costs and the weak pound are to blame
for the loss of an existing four-year contract with
a County Antrim based logistics company.
“I renewed the contract last November and priced it
according to the costs at the time,” said the 54
year old Buncrana man, “but when I approached them a
month ago to renegotiate following the increase in
my costs we could not reach an agreement.” |
Donal, whose father was
in the road haulage business and whose son, Ronan,
drives one of his four lorries, says road hauliers
such as himself have been on ‘a slippery slope’
since the end of last year.
“I’ve seen twice weekly increases in diesel in the
last few months. You go to the pump |
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on a Wednesday to fill
up and the price is up and by the Friday the price
has gone up again.”
At the moment the former Buncrana Fruit of the Loom
Transport Manager is working a short-term contract
taking equipment from the Fruit of the Loom plant in
Campsie, Derry to Belfast harbour to be shipped out
to the company’s Morocco manufacturing plant.
After completion of that contract in the coming
weeks Donal Bradley Transport faces an uncertain
future.
Donal is supporting HGV Ireland’s campaign for a six
cent per litre reduction in excise duty on diesel
for licenced hauliers.
“I am angry at the government. They should be doing
more to help out legitimate hauliers like me who are
conforming to road haulage regulations,” said the
Burwood resident.
Meanwhile Peter Bradley, manager of separate
Buncrana road haulage firm, Bradley Transport
Solutions, agrees that these are tough times for
road hauliers.
In response to spiralling fuel prices Peter says the
Irish government should give a 10% tax rebate to
licenced hauliers.
He insists Irish road haulage companies such as his
which operate outside the Republic of Ireland are
coming under additional pressure because of the high
value of the euro against sterling at the moment.
Peter says the cost of filling up one of his lorries
has gone up by around 65% in the last 18 months.
In spite of the problems facing the industry at the
moment, Peter cannot see a repeat on our roads of
scenes that occurred in England last week when
hauliers blocked lanes of a motorway outside London
in protest at rising fuel costs.
And it’s not just the housing market that is
stagnant at the moment, the market in second hand
rigs has ground to a halt.
“I have fifteen lorries and I was looking to buy ten
new Scanias this year, but because nobody is buying
second hand lorries at the minute I’m not able to
[upgrade the fleet],” added Mr Bradley.
Irish Road Haulage Association spokesperson Jim
Quinn said it was no surprise that small haulage
firms like Donal Bradley Transport were being hit
the hardest in the current climate of high fuel
prices.
Mr Quinn told consumers to expect big increases in
the cost of everyday items such as bread in the
coming months. |
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