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Sindgran announced that independent truck drivers from Santos, Guarujá, and Cubatão will go on a 24-hour strike starting at 8 AM on Wednesday at the Port of Santos. The strike is against the charge for using regulatory yards, which costs about R$ 800 per day and is considered abusive by the category.
About 5,000 independent truck drivers from Santos, Guarujá, and Cubatão will halt their activities for 24 hours starting at 8 AM on Wednesday, March 25, at the Port of Santos. The announcement was made by Sindgran, the Union of Independent Bulk Cargo Transporters from the three cities. The truck drivers’ strike is against the requirement to pay for the use of regulatory yards as a condition to enter port operations. The cost to stay in these yards for 24 hours is approximately R$ 800, an amount considered abusive by the category.
According to Poder360, the union president, José Cavalcanti, known as Salgadinho, stated that the protest will be peaceful and that the truck drivers do not intend to block public roads. According to Salgadinho, if the 24-hour strike does not yield results, the truck drivers may stop for 48 or 72 hours next week. The category has been trying for about 20 days to hold meetings with the terminals responsible for the charges to resolve the impasse, but without success so far.
What are regulatory yards and why are truck drivers upset about the charge
Regulatory yards are parking areas located near ports, cargo terminals, or large logistics centers. The main function of these locations is to regulate the flow of heavy vehicles to avoid congestion on access roads and queues on urban avenues.
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At the Port of Santos, truck drivers are required to use these yards before accessing the port terminals. Without passing through the regulatory yard, the truck cannot enter the operation.
The problem is that the cost of this stay falls entirely on the truck drivers. According to Sindgran, the charge reaches R$ 800 for a period of 24 hours.
For many independent truck drivers, this cost consumes a significant portion of the freight and, in some cases, the driver cannot even afford the fuel for the return trip. The union argues that the terminals should bear the charge, not the transporters.
How the truck drivers’ strike at the Port of Santos will be
The truck drivers’ strike begins at 8 AM on Wednesday and is expected to last 24 hours. The mobilization will take place at the Cubatão Regulatory Yard, where the truck drivers will concentrate in protest against the charge.
The union guarantees that the protest will be peaceful and orderly, without blocking public roads. The expectation is that about 5,000 truck drivers will participate in the event.
Despite the announced peaceful nature, a strike of thousands of truck drivers at the largest port in Latin America has the potential to cause logistical disruptions.
The Port of Santos handles over 170 million tons per year and is responsible for about 27% of Brazilian foreign trade. Any interruption in the flow of truck drivers directly affects the entry and exit of goods, impacting exports of commodities such as soy, sugar, and coffee.
The threat of extension: truck drivers may stop for 48 or 72 hours
If the 24-hour strike does not result in negotiations, the truck drivers have already warned that they may extend the halt. Salgadinho declared that the category is prepared to stop for 48 or 72 hours next week if their demands are not met.
The scale of the movement worries authorities and port operators, as a prolonged strike could lead to a backlog of cargo at the terminals and delays in export contracts.
Brazil’s recent history shows that truck drivers’ strikes can have ripple effects throughout the economy. In 2018, the national truck drivers’ strike paralyzed the country for more than ten days and caused widespread shortages.
Although the current mobilization is regional and focused on the Port of Santos, the threat of extension to 48 or 72 hours raises the level of attention. The truck drivers claim they are open to dialogue, but they have been trying to hold meetings for 20 days without a response from the terminals.
The impasse between truck drivers and port terminals: who should pay for the yard
The core of the dispute is simple: truck drivers believe that the charge for using regulatory yards should fall on the port terminals, not on the transporters.
From the union’s perspective, regulatory yards exist to organize the flow of the terminals and, therefore, are part of the port infrastructure. Transferring this cost to independent truck drivers, who already operate with tight margins, is seen by the category as an unfair transfer of expenses.
The terminals, on the other hand, argue that regulatory yards are services provided by third-party companies and that the charge is a market practice. So far, the terminals have not responded to the meeting requests made by Sindgran in the last 20 days.
The lack of dialogue is what led the truck drivers to choose the strike as a last resort. If no negotiations occur by Wednesday, the strike will proceed as announced and the possibility of extension will become increasingly concrete.
What do you think about this strike?
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