Foot and mouth greatly affecting freight haulage firms
Date: 14 August 2007
The foot and mouth outbreak may be devastating for farmers, but many freight haulage companies are also having a tough time.
Tough restrictions on the transport of livestock and the export of food products have impacted many hauliers badly.
Speaking to the website RoadTransport.com, Sean Gilder of Cheltenham's Gilder Transport said: "The restrictions stopped three-quarters of our business overnight. We've had the double whammy of the UK livestock movement ban which took ten vehicles out then we also export hanging meat so that was another 20 vehicles."
He added that it was hard to find alternative work because his company operates highly specialised vehicles.
"It really isn't viable," continued. "We are always the last to be thought of in terms of compensation. We've investigated it and we will speak to the trade associations but I'm not hopeful. It isn't the sort of thing you can insure yourself against."
He said the company is losing about £150,000 a week in lost revenue, and is expecting the refrigerated haulage vehicles to be out of action for around a month.
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