Nearly six in 10 transport firms are ‘very concerned’ about fuel prices, more than any other sector
New ONS data analysed by Parcelhero shows worry over fuel costs has jumped across UK industry since the summer. Transport & storage businesses remain the most acutely exposed, while manufacturing concern has more than doubled.
Fuel price anxiety has intensified across the UK economy, and the transport & storage sector is feeling it most sharply. This is according to analysis by parcel delivery comparison site Parcelhero of the latest Business Insights and Conditions Survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
A total of 59.8% of transport and storage businesses said they were ‘very concerned’ about increases in fuel prices, when asked between 21 September and 4 October 2026. That is a sharp (16.8%) rise from the 43% who said they were very concerned in a previous survey held between 3 and 16 August. It is also well above the 38.2% of all UK businesses reporting the same level of concern, which was 27.3% in August.
David Jinks, head of consumer research at Parcelhero, comments: ‘Transport & storage still leads manufacturing and wholesale & retail for the highest level of strong concern. Only 7.2% of its businesses said they were not concerned at all, against 11.3% in manufacturing and 16.3% in wholesale & retail.
‘However, it is manufacturing that has seen the steepest rise. Its “very concerned” share more than doubled, from 23% in August to 48.4%, an increase of 25.4 percentage points. Most of that concern is only revealed in this latest survey, as it was only 24.8% in early September. For transport, worry built more steadily, from 52.2% in August and 54.5% in early September to 59.8% now.
‘Wholesale & retail sector businesses are less worried, but their “very concerned” share still rose from 32.6% in mid September to 42.9%, up 10.3 percentage points. Including those who are “somewhat concerned”, 79.8% are now worried, up from 70.2% in early August. In manufacturing, the combined figure rose from 77.4% to 83.9%.
‘Fuel is the lifeblood of the transport and storage sector, so it’s no surprise transport & storage businesses are the most alarmed. What stands out is the intensity: nearly six in 10 are now very concerned, compared with just over four in 10 in August. ‘Manufacturers have caught up fast, and their worry has more than doubled in a matter of weeks. That matters for parcel delivery, because every extra £1 on the cost of moving goods ripples through the supply chain, from factory to warehouse to doorstep.
‘Retailers are less exposed on paper, but they are the businesses that ultimately feel hauliers’ and couriers’ fuel costs through delivery rates and surcharges. Shoppers and small businesses should expect pressure on delivery pricing, and should compare carriers carefully rather than assume rates will hold.
‘While the short-term outlook for the transport & storage sector shows some cause for concern, particularly around the rising cost of diesel, the sector’s rapid adoption of new technologies means any dips are likely to be temporary. Parcelhero’s latest industry report, “Delivering the Future”, reveals that the longer-term outlook for the sector is exciting, particularly looking at the adoption of alternative, cleaner fuel sources. The full report is available at https://www.parcelhero.com/en-gb/resources/ebooks/delivering-the-future