Transport Management 76

More than any other economic sector, road transport is facing a significant increase in costs. The causes? They are numerous and well-known. First of all, there is the level of our wage costs. Handicapped by automatic indexation, this is an active factor in the inevitable loss of competitiveness compared to neighbours who, following the example of Germany, are practising wage moderation. In addition, the sharp rise in fuel prices has hit companies' bills hard. In addition, new charges and other increases are looming on the horizon. For example, the price of a Euro 6 truck appears to be several thousand euros more expensive than that of its Euro 5 counterpart. And in our French neighbours, the eco-tax will soon reduce the margins of the many Belgian hauliers who criss-cross French roads. On the other side of our borders, the German Maut is looming: the Berlin government is indeed planning to extend it to all national roads. How should we react? There are no 36 solutions: it is more necessary than ever to pass on these increases in whole or in part in sales prices. “That’s easier said than done”, I hear you say. I have to admit that. But why not follow what a multinational group like DHL recently did by announcing in the press that it was raising its transport prices by 3.5%? Another action to be taken immediately is: stop running trucks that don’t make money! A case was recently reported of a haulier who accepted to lose 1,000 euros per month per truck in order to maintain a traffic… That kind of thing should be banned. It is better to do as some of us do who no longer hesitate to reduce their fleet and focus on really profitable traffic. Maintaining the (meager) margins of road transport is only possible in this way.