Drivers across the country will have seen a dramatic increase in fuel prices over the past few months. As fuel prices are consistently being discussed across the media, the news is hard to miss. Since so many drivers are dealing with having to pay extortionate pump prices to fill up their vehicles, this is a big issue for the UK’s population.
As an industry which relies heavily on fuel to keep moving, the courier market has been and continues to be impacted by this. At DeliveryApp we are assessing the impact this has had. As well as reviewing what can be done to tackle the effects of this current issue.
During the first COVID-19 lockdown you may have noticed the price of fuel dipped substantially. Petrol costs even fell to as low as £1 per litre in some areas of the country.
However, this was very much short lived. Since the beginning of 2021, fuel prices have experienced a steady increase. Climbing to reach record highs in the last few months of the year and into 2022.
Today fuel prices continue to fluctuate and although they are no longer exceeding record levels, they are still very high. According to recent reports (April 2022), the cost of unleaded is sitting at an average of 162.16 pence per litre. While diesel is sitting at 176.11 pence per litre, according to the RAC fuel watch.
For courier services and courier drivers, fuel prices can have a significant impact. Not only do these prices add to existing costs, but can potentially impact the service offered to customers. For a courier provider like us, to maintain the service and competitive prices we offer, fuel prices play an important role.
Although for the most part, the courier industry can typically accommodate fluctuating prices, when fuel prices consistently remain higher than average, this may require companies to increase their prices in order to cover the costs. Unfortunately, this means customers will have to pay increased prices for the same service.
On top of this, there have been delays across the country for fuel deliveries, meaning many pumps are running empty. This again, has a big impact on our industry as drivers are experiencing delays, pushing back delivery times.
Although we can’t do much in the way of reducing the petrol and diesel prices, there are a few things, as couriers, that we can do to reduce the impact these have on our industry.
One option we place significant importance on here at DeliveryApp, is the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. Since these are sustainable options and are an alternative to the traditional use of petrol and diesel vehicles, this a great option for reducing costs and reducing your impact on the environment. At DeliveryApp, we actually reward our drivers who opt to drive these vehicles!
To reduce fuel consumption courier drivers and courier companies should be optimising their routes. With the right technology, drivers can be directed to their final destination to complete their parcel delivery as efficiently as possible. To reduce the number of delayed or lost drivers, we have partnered with what3words to boost efficiency, ensuring our courier drivers know exactly where they are going and how to get there.
