UAE movers absorb fuel hike as empty return trips squeeze earnings

A furniture delivery from Sharjah to Dubai does not end when the truck is unloaded. For freelance mover Zeeshan Khan, the vehicle must travel another 40 to 50 kilometres back without a paying load. That empty journey is now costing more, but Khan is not yet passing the increase to customers, according to Khaleej Times. His challenge is to keep jobs affordable without letting the return leg eat further into earnings.

From October 1, diesel rose by 50 fils to Dh4.80 a litre, while Special 95 petrol increased by 59 fils to Dh4.28. Movers, vehicle recovery operators and restaurants interviewed by the newspaper are reviewing what those changes mean for each job and their monthly spending. For now, the operators cited are absorbing the extra expense rather than immediately raising customers’ bills.

Empty kilometres carry a bigger cost

Khan said a household move between Sharjah and Dubai can involve roughly 40 kilometres of travel each way. He cannot pick up another customer’s furniture in Dubai for the return journey, leaving the outward job to cover fuel for both directions. Across an 80- to 100-kilometre round trip, with vehicles travelling four to seven kilometres per litre, the diesel increase adds an estimated Dh7 to Dh17.

His decision on pricing will depend on the monthly total, not a single journey. Khan told Khaleej Times that if the additional expense exceeds Dh200, he may need to pass part of it to customers. He does not plan to add a charge this month. Instead, he is considering storing one customer’s furniture safely for a day or two while finding another consignment heading in the same direction. Combining two or three loads could cut fuel use and save customers money.

Khan said customers would not face an extra charge this month, though part of the cost might be passed on if the monthly increase exceeds Dh200.

Vehicle recovery businesses face a similar problem, with trucks travelling to a stranded car, taking it to a garage and then returning to base. Rafiq, a Sharjah-based recovery operator, estimated that higher diesel prices could add Dh8 to Dh25 to a trip of 100 to 150 kilometres, depending on the truck’s fuel economy. He has not raised charges and is assessing the additional monthly spending before making any change.

Delivery bikes face a smaller increase

Rafiq also sees a potential complication ahead: winter trips to desert and mountain areas. He told the newspaper that more people visiting those locations could mean more long-distance recovery calls. Those journeys could make the extra fuel bill harder to absorb, even while his pricing remains unchanged for this month.

For nearby food deliveries, the increase is smaller. Nazir, who runs a restaurant in Al Nahda, said his delivery bikes generally serve the surrounding area and are usually refuelled weekly. At an assumed fuel economy of 40 kilometres per litre, a 10-kilometre delivery would cost about 15 fils more in fuel. A weekly refill of 12 to 14 litres would be roughly Dh7 to Dh8 more expensive than last month.

Nazir said the overall burden depends on order numbers and distances, with the extra cost reaching Dh1 in some cases. He is not adding a separate delivery charge at present. The next test for these operators is their monthly bill: sustained high fuel costs or longer journeys could prompt a later review of prices. Until then, the businesses interviewed are carrying the increase themselves.