Lorry training firm 'riding out' record diesel price

Record-breaking fuel prices have left a firm teaching people to drive lorries and buses having to "ride out" the rising cost of filling up its vehicles.

The average price of diesel in the UK hit an all-time high this week at 199.33p a litre, according to the RAC motoring organisation.

Prices have been steadily rising since the US-Israel war with Iran began in February. Petrol has also risen to 174.23p a litre.

Steve Dulson, managing director of Shropshire-based Dulson Training, said it was costing hundreds of pounds more to fill up each lorry compared with 2025 prices.

"Over the last 12 months we've seen a rise of up to 50p a litre, excluding VAT, and it's hard to react to that, because of how we deal with our customers," he said.

"Our customers have usually been in our pipeline for some time, taking medicals, applying for provisional [licences] or taking theory tests.

"So by the time they've got to their practical training, and the fuel prices have increased, they've already been quoted.

"That makes it difficult for us to put prices up."

The price of petrol and diesel had been largely falling since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

But the war in the Middle East, which started on 28 February, has added 59p to the average cost of a litre of diesel, or just under 40%, and 41p to the price of petrol.

Supplies of diesel internationally have been heavily constrained by the conflict.

Dulson said his family-run business could find limited fuel savings by "extending breaks" during training sessions or "take routes that don't use as much fuel".

"The customer has paid us to do a job and we're going to do that to the best of our ability," he said.

"As next year comes round, we might have to increase prices to reflect what we're going through, unless there's a downturn."

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