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RHA Business Confidence Survey – Autumn Budget 2026
RHA Business Confidence Survey – Autumn Budget 2026
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1. Please complete the following:
(Required.)
Name
Job title
Company name
Email address
Postcode
No. of vehicles in fleet
Main type of operation: HGV / Coach / Van / Mixed / Other
*
2. How confident are you about the prospects for your business over the next 12 months?
(Required.)
Very confident
Fairly confident
Neither confident nor unconfident
Fairly unconfident
Very unconfident
*
3. Compared with 12 months ago, is your confidence in your business:
(Required.)
Much higher
Slightly higher
About the same
Slightly lower
Much lower
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4. What are the biggest pressures currently affecting your business? Select up to four
(Required.)
Fuel costs
Wages and employment costs
Business taxation, including National Insurance and business rates
Insurance
Vehicle purchase, finance and maintenance costs
Regulation and compliance
Customer demand
Driver and skills shortages
Road congestion and infrastructure
Costs/uncertainty associated with decarbonisation
Wider economic uncertainty
Customer pressure on rates
Inability to pass on increased costs
Cash-flow pressures and late payment
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5. Over the next 12 months, do you expect your business to:
(Required.)
Grow significantly
Grow slightly
Remain broadly the same
Contract slightly
Contract significantly
Unsure
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6. How are current business conditions affecting your plans to invest or grow? Select all that apply
(Required.)
Delaying vehicle replacement/investment
Delaying investment in lower/zero-emission vehicles
Delaying recruitment
Delaying training or skills investment
Delaying expansion
Reducing staff numbers
Turning down or withdrawing from work
No significant impact
Other (please specify)
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7. If fuel duty increased by 5p per litre, how would your business be likely to respond?
(Required.)
Increase prices/rates charged to customers
Absorb some or all of the additional cost
Reduce or delay investment
Reduce other business costs
Reduce recruitment/staffing
Turn down work that is no longer viable
No significant impact
Other (please specify)
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7a. How much of this additional cost would you expect to be able to pass on to customers?
(Required.)
All of it
Most of it
Some of it
None of it
Unsure
Other (please specify)
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8. How confident are you that your business will be able to attract and develop the people and skills it needs over the next five years?
(Required.)
Very confident
Fairly confident
Neither confident nor unconfident
Fairly unconfident
Very unconfident
Not applicable
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9. Which workforce or skills issues are of greatest concern for your business over the next five years?
Select as many as you like.
(Required.)
Attracting new people into the industry
Recruiting drivers
Recruiting technicians and engineers
Retaining experienced staff
An ageing workforce
Access to suitable training
Cost of training and development
Skills needed for new vehicle and energy technologies
Digital and AI skills
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10. Which Government actions would do most to increase your confidence to invest and grow? Select as many as you like
(Required.)
Cut fuel duty
Keep fuel duty frozen
Introduce an Essential User Rebate for commercial operators
Reduce business and employment taxes
Reduce regulatory and administrative burdens
Invest in roads and infrastructure
Support driver recruitment, training and wider skills
Provide greater certainty/support for decarbonisation
Other (please specify)
11. What is the one thing you would most like the Chancellor to do in the Autumn Budget to improve confidence in your business?
100%
