News

Canute Haulage has highlighted the continuing problem of driver shortages while reporting a rise of almost 6% in both turnover and pre-tax profit.

A spokeman for the company says he believes that driver shortages will continue to be a problem for the industry in the future. "We have a lot of very good, experienced drivers who are coming up to 50 but we are not getting younger drivers coming in to us," says the spokesman. He says that other factors affecting driver recruitment  and retention are: problems getting insurance for younger drivers; continuing changes to legislation and unhappiness with the introduction of digital tachographs. To help attract younger drivers Canute is working with its local council in Thurrock and local colleges, one of which has set up a logistics academy.

In the year ending July 2006 Canute Haulage Group's turnover grew to £63.4m from £59.8m in 2005 and pre-tax profit jumped to £2.54m from £2.40m. At 31 July 2006, the group's net assets were £5.3m - an increase of £784,000 from the balance of £4.5m at the same time in 2005.

Canute's directors have pointed to the continued upward pressure of fuel prices and labour costs as contributing to a difficult market although these factors have been mitigated by efficiencies obtained with customers.

Canute says it has "coped well" with challenges arising in the year which included the working time directive and a fall in retail sales. During the year Canute secured a number of business wins and secured additional work with existing customers.

The spokesman says: "The company has performed well in a difficult market. This year it is pretty much more of the same."