Truckers serving the container terminals at the Port of Genoa are protesting against the persistent long waits for loading and unloading containers at the port's terminals. They are demanding the implementation of a Congestion Fee, a surcharge on trucking rates to cover the costs incurred from these delays. The eight associations—Trasportounito, Aliai, Anita, Cna Fita, Confartigianato Trasporti, Fai, Fiap, and Lega Cooperative—are united in this request.
In a statement released on May 29, 2024, Trasportounito declared, “Either the entire supply chain (terminals, forwarders, logistics companies, highways, and shippers) shares the extra costs that currently burden only the trucking sector, or the trucking industry will respond forcefully by imposing the measurement of excess costs to ensure their coverage.” The association also warned that congestion at the Ligurian port might worsen in the near future due to the opening of new construction sites for road and rail infrastructure projects.
Specifically, Trasportounito added, "From June 3, in accordance with the free negotiation between parties as provided by sector regulations, a Congestion Fee will be applied to each transport service whose origin/destination includes the Port of Genoa. This surcharge will be charged to the contracting transport companies at all levels of subcontracting and will be itemized on the invoice under 'Congestion Fee for loading and/or unloading at the Port of Genoa'."
Trasportounito further stated, “The daily congestion at the Port of Genoa, caused by structurally inadequate terminals, long waits for loading and unloading in buffer areas, blackouts of the port's PCS system, and document and authorization process delays, have resulted in significant productivity losses and unsustainable extra costs for our trucking companies, which already have limited profit margins.”
