More than half (51%) of UK construction firms say transport-related delays are frequently impacting upon projects.

Of those, 9% say all projects are affected and a further 42% say they are regularly affected.

The study, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Building on behalf of TomTom Telematics, also found just 3% of respondents have never been affected by delays.

These logistical problems can have had a significant effect on a company’s operations.

Delays to the completion date of projects were cited as the most common outcome by three quarters of respondents, followed by reduced profitability (41%), damage to reputation (36%) and financial penalties for failing to meet deadlines (21%).

Jeremy Gould, vice president of European sales at TomTom Telematics, said: “Construction firms are required by their customers to satisfy demanding service level agreements (SLAs), so there is often little room for error when it comes to the completion of projects.

“That means efficient logistics are crucial to profitability and continued success. Companies have to make every effort to mitigate the effect of issues such as vehicle breakdowns and traffic congestion in order to ensure projects comply with SLAs.”