Milton Keynes, UK, 7 March 2024 – The road seems longer for UK van drivers, with 60% clocking in extra hours amidst soaring costs and economic pressures, a survey by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles reveals. Despite the inflation rate easing off to 4.2% in January 2024, the cost of cruising through business remains steep, with materials like ready-mixed concrete and flexible pipes and fittings revving up by 14.6% and 23.8% respectively.
A staggering 68% of drivers are stuck in the same gear as last year, feeling no more optimistic about the future of their business, while 12% are even more downshifted, feeling less hopeful than before. The survey, which gave a voice to 1,000 UK van drivers, highlights a significant stretch in their working day to an average of 9 hours and 10 minutes – up from the 8 hours and 34 minutes recorded in February 2023. Alarmingly, two in every five are now navigating through over 10 hours of work daily.
This 7% year-on-year increase in working hours is a clear indicator of the mounting pressure on businesses, with drivers pointing out the rising cost of materials and the expansion of their workdays as their biggest roadblocks.
Craig Cavanagh, the National Fleet Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, empathizes with the drivers, saying, “Navigating through longer hours and the uphill battle with material costs, UK van drivers are undoubtedly feeling the pinch in their daily business operations.” In light of these challenges, Volkswagen’s ‘Working With You’ promise aims to offer some relief by minimizing running costs, ensuring businesses can keep their wheels turning without breaking the bank.
To ease the financial burden, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is offering service plans starting from a budget-friendly £9.95 a month. This initiative is geared towards helping businesses manage maintenance costs more predictably, avoiding the bumps of unplanned expenses and keeping them on the road to recovery.
As UK van drivers gear up for another challenging year, the support from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles could just be the lifeline they need to navigate through these turbulent times.
