New year, new coin. Or rather - new ways to make coin.

In the ongoing struggle between the State and road haulage, the former's come out swinging.

Yes - after a hectic Christmas, this new January of our Lord 2018 promises no respite. The message to hauliers is:

Don't take your hands out of your pockets just yet.

 Why? Because Uncle Gov wants to cut congestion. 

But let's not storm the Treasury just yet.

It'll not necessarily be an additional levy. If and when it's introduced, it may replace another tax - fuel duty, for example. In any case, it'll be the first pay-per-mile system deployed in Britain.

The whole point of it, they say, is to ensure overseas hauliers, who use the UK roadway without paying for its upkeep, are brought onto a 'level playing field' with domestic operators. This may in fact be welcome news to British hauliers who increasingly find themselves under the taxman's microscope. 

Many reckon that this new method of causing trauma to hauliers' chequebooks is a response to the rise of hybrid vehicles - which in turn is expected to limit the amount the State can levy through fuel duty. In 2017, the Treasury collected £27.5 billion from diesel and petrol taxes, which breaks down to 57.95p per litre. 

Because electric cars will likely be widespread before electric lorries hit British tarmac, the taxman is focussing his gaze on the road haulage industry as a means of keeping his profit margins at a respectable breadth. Make hay while the sun shines, to coin a phrase. 

Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, said:

“Our hauliers will complain that a continental truck, it comes in with a tank full of low duty diesel, spends several days working in the country, goes away again, and pays nothing towards the use of the roads.

“What we’re aiming to do now, we already have a system in place that provides some limited contribution, but we’re now consulting the industry and saying if we were to move away from different types of tax on hauliers and move to a pay-per-use basis, so that everybody, British, international, contributes to the roads, do you think that’s a good idea?”

Well, do you?

On another note, just before the Xmas break we wrote about the driver shortage and asked what you think could be done to encourage more youngsters into the industry. One of the best suggestions was: make the CPC better.

Well, Chartwise have been looking into ways to make driver training more engaging and interactive. And we reckon the methods we've selected (and will be rolling out this year) will change the face of CPC for the better. But in the meantime, we want to hear from you.

What do you think will make the CPC more enjoyable? 

Make it known via the link below: