Truckers, brokers set holiday over truck phase-out

MANILA, Philippines — Customs brokers and truckers are set to conduct a six-day holiday starting next Monday to oppose the phase-out of old trucks.

Teddy Gervacio of the Alliance of Philippine Brokers and Truckers Association said the “day of rest” is meant to protest the order of Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to phase out trucks that are more than 15 years old.

“Because of year model phase-out of trucks, the small business of 90 percent of small-time truckers will be dead. It will immediately impact on the poor drivers and helpers who will starve because they will lose their jobs,” Gervacio said.

Gervacio said the big international shipping companies would benefit from the phase-out of old trucks.

He said their six-day “customs brokers, truckers day of rest” or “truck holiday” will be conducted from Nov. 19 to 24.

“Under the original orders of the Department of Transportation and Communications (which was replaced by DOTr) the phase-out covers only the buses. Now, they are trying their best to include trucks,” Gervacio said.

He said only the agents of Euro-4 trucks will benefit from the phase-out of old trucks while the small-time truckers, drivers and helpers will lose their source of income in the end.

He said that at present, the truckers cannot haul because the empty containers loaded on their trucks cause congestion inside the ports.

“The return of empty containers is taking us a minimum of three days to a maximum of one week.  We have to queue our trucks at our expense. This is the reason why the ports are highly congested. We are also the ones paying the detention, storage fees and penalties being imposed by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) ranging from P5,000 to P10,000. All of us are affected. Only the shipping lines like the ATI, ICTSI, CY-Depot; LGU, wreckers and others are the ones earning profit,” Gervacio said.

Gervacio said the international shipping lines do not have enough CY-depot that would supposedly accommodate their empty containers, which are part and extension of their services.

He said ports continue to be congested because trucks hauling empty containers queue at the ports for three days.