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Scottish hauliers last week learnt that they would be losing one of their main routes to the Continent when Greek ferry operator Superfast scraps its Rosyth-Zeebrugge service in September. Hauliers and haulage associations alike describe the end of the service as a major loss.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) director for Scotland, Phil Flanders, says it is a "tremendous  blow" and adds: "We are particularly disappointed that all the work involved in bringing the ferry here in the first place and keeping it running has been in vain. This closure will have a serious affect on Scottish hauliers who will now have to travel many miles south before the Continental leg of their journey even begins."

Michael Lacey, operations director at Grampian International, says the company routinely has four or five vehicles on the Superfast service. He adds: "We use it a lot for French and Italian traffic and it's a long way to drive to Dover instead." Superfast's UK sales manager, Doug Turnbull, says the decision was made because the ferry operator decided it would be more profitable to use the vessel on services in Greece.

Turnbull adds: "It's not that the Rosyth service wasn't being well-used - we often had waiting lists for trucks to get on - it's just that the company decided it could make more money  elsewhere. Turnbull also says that he and the other 11 staff at Superfast's UK office would be losing their jobs after the service ends, and that the company's decision came "completely out of the blue" for the British-based employees.

Attica Group, which owns Superfast, says it will provide all the assistance and information it can to any operator wishing to take up the route after Superfast withdraws.