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UK haulage companies are struggling to stay afloat and dropping into administration due to "unsustainable" price rises recorded in 2026, according to experts. The Road Haulage Association stressed that freight businesses tended to generate low-margins, meaning increased running costs were having a major impact.

The experts stressed that haulage and freight companies had already been battling a stagnant economy and rising costs for up to a year. However, when asked why a series of haulage companies have fallen into difficulty this spring, the experts pointed directly at rising petrol and diesel costs for inflicting a fatal blow, with fuel running costs becoming "simply unsustainable".

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, RHA external affairs director David Boot explained that fuel costs can make up as much as one-third of total expenses.

David said: "Road freight is a low-margin industry, predominantly made up of small and medium-sized family businesses. Margins are typically 2%, which leaves very little room to absorb shocks. With a stagnant economy and further cost considerations, operators have spent the last twelve months delaying investment, consolidating operations, and prioritising survival.

"Take fuel costs alone, which account for a third of overall expenses in road transport. UK diesel prices remain much higher than most European nations, putting businesses here at a competitive disadvantage.

"Recent global events have added further pressures. Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, average UK diesel prices have risen from around 142p per litre in February to over 190p by late April. For a typical HGV that translates to roughly £300 a week extra, per vehicle. On a fleet of even modest size, that's simply unsustainable, particularly for operators on fixed-rate contracts who cannot pass costs through quickly enough."

Fuel prices have radically soared since the end of February after the disruption in the Middle East affecting global oil prices. Earlier this spring, a series of haulage companies that are still in operation admitted to spending thousands of pounds more on fuel as costs soared.

John Reid Trucking Limited, a haulage firm in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, claimed its fuel bill had increased from £25,000 to over £31,500.

Meanwhile, BJS Haulage in Wednesbury claimed the company was spending as much as £40,000 more per week on fuel in April than they were just two months ago.