The phenomenon began in Genoa a year ago, on 3 June, when eight road haulage associations – Trasportounito, Aliai, Anita, Cna Fita, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai, Fiap and Lega Cooperative – announced the introduction of a congestion surcharge on container road transport to and from the port. This was intended to compensate hauliers for long waiting times during loading and unloading operations. The surcharge ranged from 120 to 180 euros per trip, depending on the journey length. The decision was motivated by daily congestion at the port, attributed to terminal facilities deemed structurally inadequate, resulting in additional costs estimated at over one million euros.
The surcharge later moved south to the port of Naples, where regional haulage associations introduced it after weeks of queues involving over a hundred lorries stuck for hours at the Conateco terminal, which handles 80% of the port’s cargo. This initiative led to the establishment of two permanent discussion forums with the port authorities. In October of the same year, haulage operators in La Spezia followed suit, with six associations – Anita, Assotir, Cna Fita, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai and Trasportounito – introducing the surcharge for all journeys through the Stagnoni gate into the port basin.
The fourth port to implement the surcharge was Venice-Marghera, where hauliers introduced the measure on 3 June 2025, making it the first Adriatic port to adopt it. The associations involved are Fai, Cna and Confartigianato Trasporti Veneto, although the exact amount has yet to be officially announced. The surcharge was justified as compensation for the "unbearable" delays encountered during loading and unloading operations.
This is the current situation, but the congestion surcharge has already been announced for other ports. On 16 June, it is expected to come into effect in Vado Ligure, following an announcement by eight Ligurian haulage associations – Aliai, Anita, Cna Fita, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai, Fiap, Lega Cooperative and Trasportounito. These groups cited "organisational shortcomings by the Apm Terminal" and operational delays caused by the arrival of ships with increased container loads. The surcharge amount has not yet been officially specified.
A few days later, on 1 July, the surcharge is expected to take effect at the port of Livorno. It was announced by Anita, Assotir, Cna Fita, Confartigianato, Fai and Trasportounito, who report "increased costs due to delays in loading and unloading at container terminals", with waiting times exceeding three or four hours. Cna Fita also stressed that the disruptions caused by "congestion, ship arrivals, work peaks, malfunctions, maintenance, and wind" should no longer fall on haulage companies.
The surcharge could also be introduced in Ravenna, where the Comitato Unitario Autotrasporto has threatened to block access to the container terminal on 12 May 2025, in response to prolonged delays during deliveries and collections, sometimes reaching two hours. Freight forwarders and customs agents have expressed concern over the potential loss of traffic. Companies are calling on the terminal operator to provide more staff and to improve overall traffic management.
The progressive spread of the congestion surcharge is raising concerns among other container logistics stakeholders. The president of Fedespedi, Alessandro Pitto, stated at the beginning of June 2025 that "the disruptions reported by hauliers are experienced by the entire logistics chain" and that goods "can no longer be expected to bear further costs". The association highlighted "potentially anti-competitive elements" in the unilateral imposition of the surcharge and called on the Port System Authorities to establish consultation platforms.
Terminal operators, through their association Assiterminal, are also opposing the application of the surcharge and have likewise appealed directly to the port authorities. The association argues that "the matter is already regulated by the recent introduction of the extra-time fee under the infrastructure decree-law" and that the Port System Authorities "are fully empowered to implement measures of regulation and oversight to ensure performance standards". Assiterminal criticised the "succession of fragmented local initiatives, sometimes even targeting specific operators" and pointed to the alleged inaction of the port authorities.
While critical, Federlogistica has taken a constructive stance, calling for the congestion surcharge "to be transformed into an actual port fee, as envisaged by Article 6-bis of Legislative Decree 286/2005". The association stressed that the surcharge being "discretionary rather than mandatory creates contradictory situations that benefit unscrupulous companies offering transport services at essentially dumping rates".
Shipping lines are mostly remaining silent, but one, the German company Hapag-Lloyd, has responded by introducing its own surcharge to offset that of the hauliers. It informed clients of a fee of 85 euros for each positioning to and from La Spezia, citing "the increasingly unmanageable difficulties of accessing the port in recent months". So far, there has been no response from the Port System Authority.
It remains unclear where, when and how the congestion surcharge is applied, partly because the container haulage sector is highly fragmented. Among third-party independent hauliers, there are both relatively large structured firms and small to medium-sized companies, each of which is free to apply the surcharge, creating a competitive disadvantage for those who do not. Additionally, there are haulage firms that are in various ways linked to shipping lines in the context of “carrier haulage” – where the land transport is managed by the maritime carrier – and these operators have no interest in applying the surcharge.
