It wasnt that long ago that business in the UK and US found themselves under a large amount of pressure when their margins were slashed due to a increase in petrol prices. Those companies that had transport operations felt the pressure more than most and it was common to see vehicle fleets reduced by more than half.

Fleets may need to be reduced even further now and companies pushed even closer towards breaking point as the government announces predicted further cost increases in the coming months. What is frustrating many business owners about this situation is the lack of information it gives them to predict profit margins. “We get a set of forcasts drawn up and then they mean nothing when petrol goes up so much” argues Jerry Henley, Managing Director of JHG Foods. Many business experts have predicted that 2009 will see similar levels of transport-based companies shut down as witnessed last year, which was around 15%.

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