The deal, struck on Friday between ministers and UNATRAS, the umbrella organisation representing Italy’s main road haulage associations, averts disruption to manufacturing and retail supply chains that industry groups had warned could follow a nationwide stoppage.
The strike had been scheduled to run from May 25 to May 29.
Under the agreement, the government approved a package of measures in an emergency decree adopted by the Council of Ministers on Friday evening. The package includes a tax credit worth about €300mn for road haulage companies, faster reimbursement of fuel excise duties and the option for companies to spread certain tax payments over time.
The government also agreed to establish a permanent working group at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and to reinstate the General Council for Road Haulage and Logistics, a consultative body for the sector.
Measures target fuel costs and liquidity pressures
At the centre of the package is a €300mn tax credit aimed at easing pressure on transport operators facing sharply higher diesel costs. Ministers also pledged to accelerate quarterly excise duty reimbursements, reducing payment times to 30 days from the date of application.
The agreement also introduces instalment options for some business tax payments, a long-standing demand from haulage companies seeking to ease liquidity pressures.
Industry groups welcomed the deal while cautioning that implementation would be critical.
Confartigianato Trasporti described the agreement as “crucial” for the sector and said suspending the strike reflected “a strong act of responsibility towards the country and the national economy”.
UNATRAS said the decision to halt the stoppage was intended to avoid further pressure on the economy and ensure continuity in transport and logistics services.
Structural pressures continue to weigh on haulage sector
The dispute has highlighted broader strains in Italy’s road haulage industry, where operators face rising fuel, maintenance and labour costs alongside long payment cycles from customers.
According to figures cited by Italian media outlet Radionorba, nearly 741,500 heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes operate in Italy. Lombardy has the country’s largest regional fleet, followed by Campania and Sicily.
The sector has also undergone a prolonged contraction. The number of active road haulage companies in Italy fell from 86,590 in 2015 to 67,349 in 2025, a decline of 22.2 per cent. Trentino-Alto Adige was the only region to record an increase over the period.
