With truckers across Europe continuing their protests over rising fuel prices The Royal Gazette asked local truckers how it was impacting them.

Truckers across the board complained that with oil reaching more than $137 a barrel, as of yesterday, the cost of operating their vehicles had risen drastically. Many said they had no option but to pass on some of the cost increases to their customers.

As part of The Royal Gazette's series on how fuel prices are impacting your food bill we spoke with truckers who are responsible for transporting the food you eat from the docks to the grocery isles.

"What can you do, we are all on the same page," Stephen Moniz, operations manager for Island Construction's trucking division said. "Is it good? No. Can we do anything about it? No. Fuel prices have risen so much over the last few months and they still are. It hasn't impacted the amount of work we are doing, because everyone still needs things delivered and we are all facing the same problem.

"It has meant that we have had to increase our prices but no one person is benefitting from this, we're all in the same boat."

Mr. Moniz, whose company delivers goods for all the grocery stores and some wholesale companies such as Butterfield and Vallis, said the industry would benefit from any help, such as a fuel rebate.

This week, elsewhere in the world, truckers took to the streets asking for government intervention over fuel prices. In Spain slow-moving lorries have blocked roads across the country as drivers continued their protest strike over rising fuel costs. Their action has disrupted supplies of food. The Spanish blockade prompted the French to follow suit and as many as 200 French hauliers gridlocked Bordeaux. This particular go-slow caused 20-mile tailbacks. And a trucker in Portugal was killed north of Lisbon, as he tried to stop a lorry at a road block set up by fuel protestors. Italian truckers have pledged to strike at the end of June and a massive rally is being planned in London for July 2.

While local truckers are not planning similar action they said they too were feeling the pinch.

"I've actually had my truck off the road for the last two months because work was slow and the prices were too high," Scott Lopes, an independent trucker, said. "I've worked it out that I am spending nearly seven dollars an hour on fuel, plus I have to pay my drivers and yet we are still charging trucks out at $50 an hour.

"The big guys are still doing OK, but us little guys — it is really hurting us. And now that bigger tractor trailer trucks are doing a lot of the business, which the Government is allowing them to do instead of us smaller trucks as it has traditionally been, things are worse.

"Plus people forget that other industries get rebates or special licensing fees, like taxis or water trucks. We don't get anything."

David Roque, of David Roque Trucking, echoed the others' sentiments, that any rebate on fuel would be welcome.

"The fuel prices are getting ridiculous," he said. "I am paying $300 every three days to operate a truck. I used to spend $190 every three days. I haven't raised my prices yet. But soon I am going to have no choice but to raise prices. A tax rebate would really help us out."

Earlier in our series, grocers complained that they had no option but to raise prices because they are being hit from all sides; rising electricity, rising shipping costs. rising prices in wheat and corn-based goods as well as increased trucking charges. They said that because expenses across the board were rising they were having to pass on to customers.