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Drivers and leaders of car carriers pressure the government of São Paulo to contain the effects of rising diesel prices on freight, avoid impact on the final consumer, and open the way for a school focused on training qualified professionals for the transport of new vehicles
Drivers in the car carrier sector have entered the spotlight of a discussion that mixes logistical costs, pressure on freight, and a lack of labor. Union leaders from the category, responsible for transporting brand new cars in the country, were at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes in São Paulo on Wednesday, 22, to discuss alternatives in light of rising diesel prices and the risk of a shortage of qualified professionals for the activity.
The meeting was held with the Vice Governor of São Paulo, Felício Ramuth, and brought to the table two problems that directly affect the segment. On one hand, contracts with logistics companies have a trigger linked to the price of diesel, which can pressure freight rates. On the other hand, the sector claims to see a labor shortage, with an aging workforce and less interest from new generations in pursuing a career on the road.
What the car carriers went to discuss at the Bandeirantes
The meeting at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes focused on evaluating ways to navigate the fluctuations in diesel prices without passing the problem onto freight and without exacerbating the shortage of drivers in the segment. Representatives from the main entities of the category and the São Paulo Vice Governor participated in the conversation.
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According to the case basis, the meeting included the president of the National Union of Car Carriers, José Ronaldo Marques da Silva, the vice president of the Interstate Federation of Car Carriers, Ronaldo Marques da Silva, and the director of the regional union in São José dos Campos, Gustavo Carmo. The goal was to discuss possibilities to preserve the functioning of the sector at a time of cost pressures and concerns about the workforce.
How diesel can affect the freight of car carriers
The contracts of car carriers with logistics companies that organize the delivery of cars have a percentage trigger linked to the price of diesel. In practice, this means that if fuel price increases exceed the level stipulated in the contract, car carriers have the right to adjust the agreed freight rate.
This mechanism makes diesel a central piece of the equation. When fuel prices rise too much, the pressure does not only fall on those transporting the goods. It can reach the entire supply chain, as the sector’s main concern is to avoid any impact on the final consumer and on the product’s price.
Why the sector wants to avoid a freight price increase
Despite the concern over rising fuel prices, there was no definitive solution to the impasse during the meeting. What occurred was a discussion about possibilities, in a scenario still influenced by the behavior of the international market.
The expectation of the leaders is that the situation will be resolved without the need to adjust the freight price. The justification presented is clear: to protect the end consumer from any changes in the value of the transported vehicles. This shows that the issue has ceased to be merely operational and has begun to have a broader economic impact.
The driver shortage that concerns zero-kilometer car transport
In addition to diesel, another major alert from the meeting was the so-called labor shortage. The sector is worried about the aging profile of the professionals currently working in vehicle transport and says there is a growing difficulty in renewing this workforce.
According to representatives of the category, the children of truck drivers do not want to follow in their parents’ footsteps, which increases the risk of a shortage of drivers in the coming years. For a segment that depends on specialization and regularity in the delivery of zero-kilometer cars, this scenario could turn into a structural bottleneck.
The proposal for a school to train qualified drivers
In light of this situation, the president of the union presented a project to the vice-governor for the creation of a driver school. The proposal is to anticipate the problem and prepare professionals capable of working in the transport of zero-kilometer cars.
The idea is to train a qualified workforce for a segment that requires specific knowledge and high responsibility. The sector itself states that it needs to take the initiative to avoid a larger crisis in the future, which reveals that the concern is no longer just with the present, but with the ability to keep the activity functioning in the coming years.
What changes in practice for logistics and consumers
If diesel continues to pressure contracts and the shortage of drivers deepens, vehicle transport may face more difficulties in keeping costs and operations under control. The sector is trying to act just before these two factors meet in a more aggressive manner.
In practice, the combination of expensive fuel and scarce labor can compromise the predictability of logistics. That is why the car carriers treat the issue as urgent: it is not just about operational costs, but about the supply of the segment and the potential impact on the entire chain of new car delivery.
Why the meeting with the government draws so much attention
The meeting at Bandeirantes shows that the problem is no longer restricted to companies and unions and now requires direct dialogue with the public authorities. When the sector seeks the government to discuss diesel and training drivers, it becomes clear that the concern has gone beyond the routine of transportation and entered the realm of economic and logistical strategy.
It is also noteworthy that the agenda brings together two sensitive fronts at the same time. One is immediate, related to fuel costs and the risk of freight increases. The other is structural, related to professional succession and the difficulty of attracting new workers to the roads.
The next steps after the pressure from the car carriers
For now, the meeting did not end with a definition about diesel, but opened space to discuss paths. The sector continues to monitor market behavior and tries to prevent fuel fluctuations from forcing changes in freight.
At the same time, the proposal for the drivers school appears as a medium and long-term response to the labor issue. The movement signals that the car carriers want to act before the scarcity of professionals becomes an even greater obstacle for the transportation of brand new cars in the country.
With diesel prices rising and the risk of a labor shortage, do you think the sector will be able to train new drivers in time to avoid greater pressure on freight?
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