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View all search resultsTruck drivers demand fair freight rates amid planned crackdown on overloaded vehicles
Cargo owners often seek trucking companies that offer the lowest possible rates while promising to haul the largest loads. This practice has pushed trucking operators to slash their transportation fees to unsustainable levels, leaving only a small portion of the revenue for drivers.
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Thousands of truck drivers park their vehicles along Siliwangi Street in Semarang, Central Java, on June 23 to protest against the government’s planned crackdown on oversized and overloaded trucks. (JP/Suherdjoko)
T
ruck drivers across the country are urging the government to establish standardized freight rates, amid plans to enforce a crackdown on overweight and oversized vehicles which they fear could significantly impact their already low earnings.
Thousands of truck drivers parked their vehicles along the Jatingaleh toll road in Semarang, Central Java, on Monday in protest, causing traffic congestion stretching over 9.1 kilometers.
The drivers are demanding that the government establish a nationwide standard for freight charges before tightening enforcement of its load restriction policies.
"The government must set both upper and lower limits on freight charges to promote fair competition in the transport industry and support road safety," said Suroso, head of the Central Java branch of the Independent Driver Alliance (API), on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Cargo owners often seek trucking companies that offer the lowest possible rates while promising to haul the largest loads. This practice has pushed trucking operators to slash their transportation fees to unsustainable levels, leaving only a small portion of the revenue for drivers.
As a result, many truck drivers are forced to overload their vehicles far beyond legal limits just to make ends meet as they are often paid based on the weight of their cargo. Yet even with the overloaded hauls, their earnings are often just enough to cover toll fees and fuel, leaving them with little or nothing to take home.
Similar protests against the government’s planned crackdown on overloaded and oversized trucks have erupted in other parts of the country over the past week, including Surabaya in East Java, Bandung in West Java and Salatiga in Central Java.
