Cairns removalist Jesse Bradley says the cost of diesel has risen by about 50 per cent since he started his business three years ago.

When the 30-year-old launched his business, Handy Truck, in February 2021, fuel was about 7 per cent of revenue, when he typically paid about $1.30 for a litre of diesel. But now that he usually pays between $2 and $2.05, fuel has cracked 12 per cent of revenue.