New trucking, freight loading requirement could raise agri prices

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is meeting with players in the trucking and freight industry to determine the impact of new loading regulations on the transport and pricing of rice and other agricultural commodities. 

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is meeting with industry stakeholders on July 15 after they warned that prices of rice and other farm products could go up by one peso per kilo as a result of the new loading guidelines set by the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The said agencies started implementing on June 1 a resolution amending the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 8794, also known as the Anti Overloading Act of 2000.       

The government argues that overloaded trucks and trailers could cause tremendous damage to highway safety and traffic operations and take its toll on infrastructure investments.

Present estimates place road rehabilitation cost at about P13.5 billion every year.

The DPWH imposed starting June 1 a reduction on the prescribed gross vehicle weight (GVW) depending on configuration.

The following are the new recommended maximum allowable GVW: trucks with two axles (six wheels) –18,000 kg; trucks with tandem rear axle/three axles (10 wheels) – 33,300 kg; trucks with tandem rear axle/four axles (14 wheels) – 35,600 kg; truck semi-trailer with three axles (10 wheels) – 34,000 kg; truck semi-trailer with four axles (14 wheels) – 40,600 kg; truck semi-trailer with five axles (18 wheels) – 41,500 kg; truck trailer two axles at prime mover/three axles at trailer (18 wheels) – 41,000 kg; truck trailer two axles at prime mover/two axles at trailer (14 wheels) – 43,000 kg; truck trailer two axles at prime mover/three axles at trailer (18 wheels) – 43,500 kg; truck trailer three axles at prime movers/three axles at trailer (22 wheels) – 42,000 kg; truck trailer three axles at prime mover/two axles at trailer (18 wheels) – 43,500 kg; and truck trailer three axles at prime mover/three axles at trailer (22 wheels) – 45,000 kg.

 Section 6 of the original law provides that the government could impose an amount equivalent to 25 percent of the Motor Vehicles Users Charge (MVUC) for trucks and trailers exceeding their GVW.  The prescribed load per axle remains at 13,500 kilograms.

Agriculture assistant secretary and National Rice Program coordinator Dante Delima said the new load regulations would adversely affect rice cargo because it would reduce the volume transported.

He said that for instance, a 22-wheeler truck that could carry about 700 to 800 sacks of rice could now transport only 480 to 530 sacks per trip. This would lead to a P1 increase in the price of milled rice per kilo. 

“Strict implementation of the law will result in increasing the cost of freight, handling and storage, and worsen traffic conditions. There may not even be enough trailers and containers to move all the cargo because of the additional trips required to move them all,” he added.

He said the matter was also brought to the attention of the DPWH.