Trucking Britain Out of a Recession – Part 4 – the final say

Confidence in the industry as a whole seems to be on the increase, with 71% of respondents very optimistic or fairly optimistic about the next 12 months. More than a quarter of those asked (27%) said that they have recovered from the recession and an excellent 84% said that they were very confident or fairly confident that their company will survive the recession.

Since the survey started, lots of drivers, truck driver training services, delivery companies and hauliers have had to work harder than ever just to keep afloat. 36% of respondents said their typical weekly working hours had increased since last September and 23% said they had a reduction in hours. The remainder stayed about the same.

Although a reduction in hours might sound desirable, many companies have said that it has been due to miserable weather or lack of interest.

So, conclusions to draw from this?

The transport industry seems to be doing better now than it was last year and many companies are confident that they will make it through the recession. However, companies have had to work harder to make ends meet, and many have had to do this with a reduced number of hours or staff.