Like many industries the haulage industry is no stranger to late payments.

So we welcome new rules coming in in April which will mean that companies with public sector contracts have to abide by 30-day payment terms within their supply chains for that specific work.

The RHA has welcomed this as a step in the right direction but called for action to go further.

The organisation, which represents hauliers like ourselves is also pressing for the creation of a dedicated minister for logistics with cross-departmental responsibilities.

A letter calling for this has been signed by the heads of not only the RHA but also the British Ports Association, the UK Warehousing Association, British International Freight Association, the British Association of Removers and Logistics UK among others.

They call for the Government to “recognise the value the sector provides to the economy.” according to the associations, it “generates £163 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and contributes significant tax revenue for the UK, including £5 billion from Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty alone.”

We agree.  It is about time the importance of the logistics sector of which we are a part was recognised and properly valued.