THE DEFINITIVE TRUCKING SITE

August 2008

Hundreds of hauliers drove their lorries into central London as part of a protest about the price of fuel. Seen here are a group of truckers and owners gathered outside Parliament.  Pic courtesy of Roadway Magazine.

Although at the time of writing the price of crude oil had dropped to $112 a barrel from a high of $147 a mere month previously, governments around the world are still under enormous pressure to find a solution to the high price of fuel. The problem reached critical proportions in July and although, since then, there has been some relief, everybody in and out of the transport industry should be concerned as many experts predict that this will be a long-term problem with global implications.

The protests that took place were not isolated incidents but took place in dozens of countries around the world involving a broad spectrum of industry sectors, mining, agriculture, airlines, the fishing industry, road hauliers, couriers, truck rental companies and so on. 

The real problem appears to be that there is no real long-term solution to the problem. Road hauliers are going to have return to the logistics drawing board and look at ways to diversify their operations and simply work smarter. 

Those customers reliant on road transport are going to have to learn to communicate with and work with each other on a far more professional and open platform than they are doing at present and look at ways of consolidating loads. 

Whatever the end result, the days of empty return legs are definitely on their way out. 

The following comprises a series of excerpts from the international media during the month of July and serves to inform FleetWatch readers that we are not alone in our woes. It’s just that we are a little more restrained in handling those woes. 

London - Wednesday July 2 
Hundreds of hauliers drove their lorries into central London as part of a protest about the price of fuel. 

The protest included members of the Road Haulage Association, the lobby group Transaction 2007, the Transport Association and other industry bodies who made their voices heard. 

Trucks from all parts of the country made their way to a pre-selected site where they were divided into groups of 20 by the Metropolitan Police. (Can you imagine such manners and decorum among South African protesters? – Ed). The trucks carried posters with the slogan: ‘Without trucks you get NOTHING!’ 

"I am absolutely delighted that so many sections of the UK transport industry have united in such a positive way," said Andy Boyle, national chairman of the Road Haulage Association. 

"If ever there was positive proof that ours is an industry in crisis, then this surely must be it. 

The harsh reality is that the price of fuel is now forcing many hauliers out of business. For many, this represents a last ditch attempt at making their voice heard. 

“It is therefore absolutely vital that Government not only listens to us but takes urgent action. For those present on Wednesday, whether they be hauliers or members of Parliament, doing nothing is no longer an option". 
Source: Daily Telegraph 
 

RHA Chief Executive, Roger King, addressing the crowd at Westminster during a recent truckers strike which saw hundreds of truckers converge on the British parliament to voice their anger at the ongoing escalation in the price of fuel.  Pic courtesy of Roadway Magazine.

Madrid - Spain, July 2 
Fuel stations in Spain are running dry as up to 90 000 truckers embark on an indefinite strike over soaring fuel costs. The truck drivers are also blocking off a number of roads around the country including the centre of Barcelona and the border with France. The head of Madrid’s station owner’s organisation says 15% of the capital’s outlets have already run out of fuel while the president of the Catalonia owners association said 40% of its members have also sold all available fuel stocks. Food markets are expected to be severely affected if the strike continues. 
Source: AP

Paris - France, July 7 
Hundreds of truckers staged new protests against high fuel prices across France by blocking main highways and snarling commuter traffic around Paris. Between 2 000 and 3 000 trucks took part in the demonstrations, according to the National Transport Operators Federation (FNTR), the industry's main body with 12 500 members. 

"Our actions have been very successful, mainly in the Paris region," FNTR president Patrick Vermot- Desroches said. Near the northern city of Lille, about 100 trucks blocked the A1, the main motorway taking holiday drivers from the Channel and northern Europe to Paris and the south of France. Similar blockades were set up on key roads outside Channel ports. 

Police said there were huge tailbacks on many roads into Paris as scores more trucks staged a go-slow on a Paris outer ring road to the east and south of the capital. Others were planned for nearly every main highway heading into Paris, the FNTR said. The trucks moved at about 15 kilometres (10 miles) an hour. Between 70 and 80 trucks parked in front of the Finance Ministry after earlier slowing traffic on the French capital's main ring road, one of the busiest in Europe. 

Similar jams built up around other big cities including Bordeaux on the Atlantic and Nice on the Mediterranean, where the main coastal highway was blocked. 
Source: Agence France-Presse 

Brussels - Belgium, July 7 
In Belgium, angry unionists blocked a Total oil depot at Feluy to protest the rising price of fuel and the high cost of living. The protesters warned of further actions if the Belgian government refused to take action. Inflation in Belgium reached a 24-year high of 5.8 percent in June, making it one of the highest rates in the Eurozone, just behind Slovenia. 
Source: Agence France-Presse

New Delhi - India, July 9 
Union leaders say millions of truck drivers have gone on strike across India to protest rising fuel prices and road tolls, in a move that could paralyze much of the Indian economy. Union leader Gurinder Pal Singh told The Associated Press talks between the main truckers’ union and the government broke down Wednesday and the “strike is on until there is a solution from [the government’s] side.” 

The All India Motor Transport Congress represents 4.8 million truckers. It is demanding lower taxes on diesel and the repeal of a recent hike in toll road fees, which they say are eliminating profits. Government officials were not immediately available to comment. Demonstrations and strikes have already forced India, Malaysia and Indonesia to raise fuel subsidies. 
Source: AP 

Sydney - Australia, July 1 
Fuel protests spread to Australia on Tuesday, with truckers blocking commuter highways to rally against rising oil prices. About 100 truckers arrived on the main highway from Newcastle to Sydney, driving below the speed limit to clog the traffic. The truckers union said drivers were risking lives by cutting maintenance and working longer hours to absorb the costs. 

Protests against rising fuel costs have plagued the world, as truckers, taxi drivers, fishermen and farmers demand tax cuts, raising fears of political instability and a global economic downturn. The union has urged the Australian government to set minimum rates of pay and conditions so that truckers are not forced to absorb the extra cost of fuel. Australia imports only about 20 per cent of its oil. 
Source: The Australian 

Hanover - Germany, July 5 
Truck operators in Germany are planning to follow the transport industry in other countries, demonstrating for government relief from soaring fuel prices. A marketresearch company said 51000 medium-sized German companies were close to failure because of rising costs. The companies say they mostly have fixed-price agreements with their customers and cannot pass on their cost increases. (A situation many South African operators will relate to – Ed). 

Bernward Franzky, chief of the Transport Industry Federation in Lower Saxony state, said his industry would demand that Berlin cancel its plans to increase road tolls. “The burden of the diesel-fuel price for the transport industry is disastrous,” he said. “In the space of one year, it has risen by 12 000 euros (19 000 dollars) per truck. Most companies are in the red.” 

Attacking Berlin’s plans to increase the average tolls for trucks on German autobahns from 13.5 to 16.3 euro cents per kilometre, he said: “That would increase our costs per truck by a further 9 500 euros per year. It has got to be stopped.” He says the German truckers would not hold a general strike but would organize demonstrations and other disruptions that might lead to shortages in German supermarkets. He said 3 000 out of 51 000 German truck companies were on the brink of failure. 

“Our operators are saying that they won't take this lying down,” said Franzky. “As a federation we won't invite anyone to do anything illegal, like blocking the autobahns with trucks. But we'll find a means. It could begin with demonstrations.” 
Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Edinburgh - Scotland, July 8 
Dozens of truckers descended on Edinburgh city centre yesterday in a protest over the rising cost of fuel. Around 130 trucks from all over Scotland congregated at Strathclyde Park before the large convoy moved slowly along the M8 to the capital. The protest was co-organised by trade magazine Courier Direct who are incensed about the escalating costs and believe the current fuel prices are damaging the haulage business. It follows similar protests in London and Wales last month. As the fleet of trucks crawled its way towards the Scottish Parliament, scores of pedestrians and shop-keepers lined the streets to offer their support to the beleaguered drivers. 

Brian Regan, managing editor of Courier Direct, said: “We are here to send a message out to the government to cut fuel tax duty as the current prices are crippling the industry. To begin with, we are hoping to persuade the government to cut prices immediately by at least 25p. It’s really great to see the general public and other motorists give us their backing because we are doing this for everybody, not just the trucking industry.” 

Steven Montgomery, of Montgomery Transport in Lockerbie, said: “I’ve already had to lay three drivers off because of the huge fuel costs we are being forced to pay.” The estimated 130 trucks parked near to the parliament and the drivers marched on foot, behind three designated trucks, to hand in their petition to Scottish Transport Minister. 

Edinburgh’s motorists kept their cool as the city’s traffic ground to a halt for around half an hour as the drivers made their way to Holyrood. Local shopkeepers and pedestrians stood and applauded as they walked past. Jerry Stewart, Director at Eagle Couriers, said: “In the courier industry, fuel is one of the most important components of your business.” 
Source: Infoshop News 

Made voice heard 
There were many more protests by many more truckers in many more countries. However, what this quick ‘birds-eye’ view on world events shows is that the trucking industry is under threat from high diesel prices. This last round of price hikes put many companies out of business which is bad news for if trucks stop, economies will stop. 

If there is one good thing that came out of this last round of really scary oil price hikes, it was that the trucking industry made its voice heard on a global level. Politicians would be wise to remember that voice and what it represents to the wellbeing of the world.