What is your role in the industry? What does your organisation do?
I am Managing Director for UK/ANZ Fleet at Corpay, including UK brands, Allstar, Keyfuels, and The Fuelcard Company. I’ve been with the company for around 15 years and currently my role focuses on ensuring we offer the most innovative payment solutions to fleets, maximising efficiencies and streamlining their processes. The Fuelcard Company is one of the largest commercial fuel card resellers in the UK, serving over 16,000 businesses and fleets.
We partnered with the RHA to launch the RHA Fuel Card, designed to help members of the RHA to master fuel management across the UK’s largest commercial fuel network.
Why are you and / or your organisation getting involved in National Lorry Week 2024?
The Fuelcard Company is delighted to be involved in this year’s National Lorry Week as it’s important we continue to highlight the work the industry is doing. One of the goals of National Lorry Week is to raise awareness about the RHA to various clients and schools by educating them on the importance, challenges and benefits of the haulage industry which we, as a nation, depend on so much as the backbone of our economy.
As the RHA Fuel Card is powered by The Fuelcard Company, we have a responsibility to help and support the industry which has its own pressures it faces every day.
Why is it important to celebrate the road transport industry?
The road transport industry is a critical pillar of the UK economy and plays a central role in the supply chain, ensuring businesses run smoothly and their goods and services get where they need to. We’re seeing an increasing emphasis on sustainability and innovation in technology with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, developing cleaner technologies like electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles and improving road safety.
Are there any misconceptions about road transport that you would like to put right?
As we know, the impetus for green travel is high. It’s critical that we create sustainable, climate-friendly solutions for all vehicles. While the technology for the haulage industry isn’t currently as road-ready as it is for cars and vans, there has been lots of innovation within the sector. In the last few years, hydrogen-based fuel cell electric trucks that use hydrogen fuel cells have come to the fore.
At the same time, low carbon fuels like biofuels and electrofuels can reduce emissions when compared to fossil fuels, while E-highways have been deployed across Europe and could reach a pilot phase in the UK. Like overhead lines used for electrified rail lines, they enable electric HGVs to recharge while travelling along motorways using overhead wires.
What issues must we raise awareness about in road transport and why are they important?
I believe it is critical we continue to raise awareness about the ongoing shortage of workers in the haulage industry. After the one-two hit of Brexit and the pandemic, many skilled workers left the sector and many of those vacancies are yet to be filled.
HGV businesses reporting HGV driver vacancies fell from 43% in 2021 to 23% in 2023. The most common reason for drivers leaving over this period was better pay or benefits elsewhere, which 42% cited. So, while rates have improved, it remains an ongoing issue.
The UK government has recognised the scale of the issue and importance in resolving it, putting together a set of initiatives aimed at combating the skills’ shortage by attracting drivers back to the sector and improving conditions. That said, many of the incentives were short-term solutions and have since lapsed.
Organisations must focus on creating attractive packages for potential employees that include good rates of pay, working conditions and future opportunities. It cannot be understated that these are skilled workers and must be celebrated as such.
On the 10th anniversary of National Lorry Week, what excites you about the future of road transport?
Road transport is on the cusp of becoming more efficient, more sustainable and better connected than ever before. This is thanks to progressive technologies opening the door to smart infrastructure and mobility solutions that will, in time, equal the adoption of electric cars and provide the same benefits to stakeholders and the environment when it comes to lower emissions and enhanced efficiencies. The future is exciting!