According to Febetra, although container hauliers are indispensable, they feel “disrespected” and undervalued.
Among the difficulties expressed by container hauliers in and around the port are the traffic jams on the Antwerp Ring, as well as many roadworks in the region.
However, Febetra added that it is the administrative workload of Antwerp Port transports that is the last straw for many haulage firms.
“Because more and more terminals have introduced mandatory time slots, it is a real daunting task for the carrier to be able to carry out the transports on time: planners have to keep an eye on all kinds of applications all day long in order to find a slot. If the driver does not make it to his time slot, it is virtually impossible to find another slot on the day itself, which leads to misunderstanding from customers, possible fines due to late return of containers and, above all, a transport price that does not exceed the actual cost price of the transport,” said Febetra, in a statement on its website.
In addition, Febetra notes that the transport of containers will soon have to take place via the port’s Certified Pick up (CPU) application. The application is designed to provide more safety at the port, but in the opinion of Febetra, it mainly causes more work and stress for hauliers.
“This application comes in addition to all of the other applications from the various terminals in the port. For years, carriers have been dreaming of a single portal for the entire port, but have come up against the proliferation of systems due to individual choices by the port authorities,” added Febetra.
The Belgian haulage association rounded off its statement by warning that transport costs will rise due to the aforementioned administrative burden. Febetra referred to research from Belgium’s Institute of Road Transport and Logistics, which found that the average immobilization cost of a tractor-trailer amounts to €101.50 per hour.
Photo: Wallpaper Flare