Aspray Transport director Stuart Laight is unconvinced that the impending Driver CPC regulations will have the desired effect of raising the professionalism of the industry. Laight further states that "many operators won't be able to cope [with cost]".
Despite this he says the firm remains committed to resist employing agency drivers and foreign labour having expanded its training facilities in 2006 in a continuing bid to develop its own staff. Laight says Aspray is "well down the route
of approval" to become an accredited centre for Driver CPC training, but predicts a rise in labour costs from the firm.
Laight says Aspray is "poised to go from strength to strength", posting pre-tax profits that have risen by half for the year to December 2006, to £666,058, from £446,069 in 2005. Operating profit jumped to £1m from £856,853 while turnover grew by 10% to £20.6m.
The firm invested £8m into extending its network of 11 sites in 2004 to "cope with additional sales", including up to £7m into its main hub in Willenhall, West Midlands, taking the site from five acres to 12 acres.
Laight says 2006 is when Aspray started seeing the benefits of the investment, and 2007 will be "healthier". Fuel is a concern he adds. "Proportionately, it has gone up, and we have been able to recover some of the cost [from customers], but by no means the increase we have sustained."
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