Author: Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ Fleet, Corpay

The Autumn Budget is meant to be about stability and growth, but small fleets and van drivers are bracing for another round of cost increases. 

These are the people who keep Britain moving. They deliver our groceries, fix our boilers, keep the shelves stocked. 

Yet every Budget seems to treat them as an easy target. Fuel duty, taxes, higher wages, energy costs – all of it lands on small operators first, and they have the least room to absorb it.

The reality is that small businesses don’t have corporate buffers or deep pockets. They are family businesses, sole traders, and local employers. Every extra pound squeezed out of them is another pound that ends up in the weekly shop or the cost of a delivery. 

And while larger fleets can plan years ahead, the small firms are often making decisions month to month. They need breathing space, not another set of hidden costs.

This is why the Budget matters. The Government can choose to pile more weight onto these businesses, or it can give them the room to invest and grow. 

That means phasing in new taxes, offering SME-friendly incentives for EV adoption, and making infrastructure accessible beyond the big corporates. The van driver in Manchester or the builder in Birmingham deserves the same chance to go greener and save money as the multinational.

If the Chancellor really wants a healthier economy, the Autumn Budget cannot ignore the backbone of UK business. 

Stop treating small businesses like an ATM. Give them the stability they need, and the whole country will feel the benefit.