Opinion

It’s the big question all haulage operators who run the UK’s 400,000 trucks are facing. What replaces diesel? Certainly, plenty of words have been spoken and written about hydrogen, electric and other alternatives. Increasingly, we are seeing trucks on our motorways which carry a slogan along the lines of ‘this lorry runs on used cooking oil’ prompting some motorists to think it’s a joke. But it’s not.

Local authorities, and the businesses with which they associate, are under an enormous amount of pressure. Rising costs, disrupted supply chains and under-staffing are all contributing to a sector stretched to the point of snapping. The last thing most firms and local authorities will want to consider when embarking on a new venture, therefore, is whether this activity is ‘regulated’ and how – and indeed if – they need to apply for FCA Authorisation. This is understandable: authorisation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s regulatory watchdog for the financial services industry, is complicated, costly, and often long-winded. Even figuring out an exemption can be a baffling process to the uninitiated, and a frustrating one for the veteran. Unfortunately, getting this wrong can spell big trouble, both from a financial, commercial, and even a legal perspective.