While many of us are feeling the pinch at the pumps, the rising costs are having an even greater impact on those who drive for a living.
Taxi drivers and hauliers have been hit hard as fuel prices have risen, reaching an average record high of £1.65 per litre.
Some have even warned they are nearly at breaking point – and may need to give up their livelihoods if the prices do not stabilise soon.
‘I lose less money parking it up’
For independent haulier Sandy MacCallum, his fuel costs have jumped to nearly £1,000 a week.
Mr MacCallum, known better as FlatOutFlatBrokeSandy on TikTok, is reluctant to put his prices up too much to cover the increasing costs of fuel, tyres and equipment but said there are now some days it’s “not worth” going out.
The Lochaber lorry driver said: “My fuel has jumped up an extra nearly £1,000 a week,” he said. “That’s just me and one lorry. I mean I know guys that have got a fleet of lorries they’re up £50,000 a week.
“We’re trying to increase rates but there’s certain ones that are contracted and there’s nothing you can do. You push your prices up and then some people understand but then some people just think you’re being greedy.”
He has increased his prices by £5 but Mr MacCallum said that it does not do much to cover costs.
He added: “I’ve done two weeks so far where I’ve not actually earned any wages for myself because fuel’s too high.”
“I’m not going out today because it’s not worth the effort, I lose less money parking it up.”
No help from government
Due to a lot of jobs having been booked months before, Mr MacCallum said that it has left himself and many other drivers in a difficult position of feeling unable to increase costs to reflect the price hikes.
He added: “I don’t want to lose work so you just do what you can do. You can just keep running yourself at a loss which loads of people start doing in the hope that prices are eventually going to come back down.”
The 29-year-old warned without intervention from the government, many businesses would be forced to fold – or cut corners.
“I think they (the government) are just expecting us to raise our prices,” he said. “It’s a really hard situation to be in and it’s just not been easy at all.
“The should cut the duty. Do something. Get the price down.”
‘Taxis are a luxury’
Taxi drivers are also feeling the pinch, with one independent describing it as a “Catch 22” that could drive customers away.
Derek Davidson, who is based in Aberdeen, said: “Things were bad enough with Covid and then this on top of it is really the icing on the cake for a lot of drivers.
“It’s a Catch 22, if we put the prices up we lose even more business.”
Mr Davidson, 59, claimed he knows of many drivers who have been forced out of the taxi business due to the rising costs.
When asked how the fuel prices are affecting business, Mr Davidson said things were already quieter than usual.
“There’s the fuel going up for everyone, there’s prices increases for everyone,” he said. “So it’s a luxury for people to catch a taxi really so it has hit trade quite badly over the past few weeks.”
Quick to go up, but slow to come down
The prices for taxi fares are set by local councils and although taxi companies can ask for a review, it is said to be a long process.
In Aberdeen, the last review was four months ago.
Russell McLeod, managing director for Rainbow City Taxis, said: “The impact has probably been a 30% increase in fuel charges over the last say few weeks. But that’s unfortunately the way it’s always been. They go up very quickly but they’re very slow to come down.”
While operating at a loss is no where in the near future, Mr McLeod said that with rising energy bills as well as petrol, taxis might be become less of a necessity.
“The problem at the end of the day is if customers are feeling a pinch then obviously the first thing that goes is social and therefore reducing the need for taxis. But that hasn’t had an effect on us yet.”
He suggested reducing other costs of living might offer some relief.
He said: “The government could probably reduce VAT but giving what we’ve just been through in the past two years is there any room for that?”
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