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QTR Transport managing director Paul White says rising fuel costs are both a current and ongoing concern for the business. On prospects for 2007, "a lot of it really depends on what fuel does," he says, citing it as "one of the biggest hurdles - you can't pass [the cost] on to all of your customers". But "we're more prepared for it now than we were at the beginning of the year," he adds, telling Motor Transport that the company now has provisos in contracts to cover potential further  rising costs. Although White observes that "it's been quite a hard year for all of us in the industry," pre-tax profits at QTR Transport grew by 7% to £222,115 in the year to December 31, 2005, up from £207,956 in 2004. Turnover growth was worth 9% in 2005, rising to £8.16m from £7.52m in 2004. White says QTR is "relatively pleased" wit the results.

Gross profit grew to £1.85m in 2005 from £1.58m in 2004, but operating profit nudged slightly downwards, to £351,069 in 2005 from £352,127 in 2004. Fixed assets were worth £1.59m in 2005, growing from £1.49m in 2004, but the company depreciates motor vehicles over the unusually long period of eight years. All of QTR's vehicles are maintained in-house, White tells MT. The company wrote off bad debt of £52,383 in 2005 when one of its major customers went into receivership. But membership to pallet network Palletline and Link Alliance are "definitely a benefit", says White. Average employee numbers during 2005 went up by ten to 102,  while payroll costs grew by 7% to £2.75m, from £2.56m in 2004. Directors' emoluments fell to £178,959 in 2005 from £187,333 in 2004.

QTR Transport paid equity dividends of £65,000 in 2005, up from £53,000 in 2004.