FNTR is urging the French Government to help transportation businesses by taking action to alleviate high diesel prices. Besides fuels, the profession is dealing with inflation of other costs, states FNTR, referring to the sudden price rise of AdBlue fluid and a 50% increase in insurance prices.
This significant increase in costs is threatening hauliers’ already very small margins (between 1 to 2%), according to the organisation. The latest study published by the Banque de France for the FNTR shows that the average profitability of transport companies is lower than that of other service companies in France. As a consequence, there are more bankruptcies in this sector.
“The industry will not be able to cope with rising costs on its own without jeopardizing its very ability to meet demand. From the client to the consumer, including the government, it is indeed all the players who will necessarily have to play their part, otherwise, we will weaken our economy as a whole,” FNTR states.
German carrier organisation recommends changes to eco-tax
Dirk Engelhardt , spokesman for the Federal Association of Freight Transport, Logistics and Waste Management (BGL), has also warned the German Government about the very same problems.
Diesel prices have risen by around 58% within a year in Germany, reports Verkehrs Rundschau.
“In the long term, the economy and ultimately also consumers will have to adjust to rising prices. In order to maintain market stability in the short term, accompanying measures are required on the part of politics,” Engelhardt said.
BGL has recommended countermeasures such as extending the climate protection contribution tax to “all participants active in Germany” via the truck toll.
Including the CO2 tax in the lorry toll would be “neutral in terms of competition” and is expressly supported by the BGL.
Also, BGL is urging the federal government to take steps regarding the price rise of AdBlue, and to secure some of the fluid for the German transportation industry.