The agreement reached by the Government with the National Committee for Road Transport (CNTC) to reverse the disproportionate rise in fuel prices and end the strike does not seem to please the hundreds of self-employed truck drivers in the Basque Country.
This is demonstrated by a survey carried out yesterday at street level in the main logistics centers of Gipuzkoa. “The agreement with which the Government will reward carriers with 20 euro cents per liter or kilo of fuel is worth nothing. It is totally insufficient. It’s bread for today and hungry for tomorrow. We currently support an extra cost of 3,000 euros and, with this measure, we can save only 700. The accounts do not come out. The problem is getting bigger and bigger », assures a truck driver from Irundarra in the Zaisa II industrial estate who refused to give his name.
These self-employed drivers, moreover, not only face rising fuel costs, they also carry a series of costs per kilometer such as changing tires, vehicle maintenance, tolls, insurance and a long etcetera that can result in total expenses at the end of the year that exceed 100,000 euros.
Expenses of a national transport truck driven by a freelancer
-
150,000 kilometers a year
-
Salary of a chauffeur:
1.500/2.000 euros. -
Combustible:
72.000 euros. -
Tires:
8.000 euros. -
Maintenance:
2.000/3.000 euros. -
Repairs:
3.000/5.000 euros. -
Sure:
1.500 euros. -
Tolls:
3.000/4.000 euros. -
Social Security:
8.400 euros.
A few kilometers from Zaisa II is the Zaisa III guarded car park. There we ran into Ana Daniela, who works independently and has had the engine of her truck stopped for days. “The bonus of 20 cents per liter of fuel is a good measure but it is not enough. It doesn’t help us at all. What we demand is a reduction in the taxes levied on fuel. A few months ago, our expenses per month for diesel reached 6,000 euros. Now we are paying 9,000 ».
The Executive, however, already assured this past Monday that it had no margin to lower the tax rate on fuel, considering that Spain already applies a minimum taxation in professional transport. At the moment, this option seems to be discarded.
There are two major taxes levied on fuel in our country: the special tax on Hydrocarbons and VAT. In the first case, it is a fixed tax figure, which is taxed at around 0.47 euros for each liter of gasoline consumed and around 0.38 euros in the case of diesel. The other tax route to remove fuel taxes is VAT. They are currently taxed at 21%, that is, the general rate.
“A few weeks ago our fuel costs were 6,000 euros, now we pay 9,000”
Ana Daniela
autonomous driver
A few meters from Ana Daniela’s trailer, we meet Txomin, another truck driver from Irundarra who works independently. «The extra cost that truck drivers who work for themselves now pay per month in fuel can reach 3,000 euros. But not only has diesel oil risen, we also have to face other expenses such as tires, repairs, maintenance, tolls… Regarding the measures approved by the Government, the employers are the ones who are going to take all the money. Self-employed drivers are only going to get the crumbs.
“Not only has diesel oil risen, tires have become more expensive by 25% and vehicle maintenance by 20%”
Txomin has supported the strike throughout these days, but plans to start circulating by road this coming Monday. The reason? The improvement of their conditions. «I have been lucky and I have managed to improve shipping conditions with my clients. Until a few months ago I was practically putting my own pocket to work, a circumstance that rarely occurs in other sectors. I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I’ve never faced a situation like this.”
Jon has parked his truck for eleven days. He has decided to support the strike due to the high price of diesel. Yesterday he was getting his truck ready. “I have supported the strike throughout this week because I hardly have any profit margin left. When the month ends and I look at the cost sheet, I see that I have spent 2,500 euros more on fuel. But not only has the price of fuel increased, tires have become more expensive by 25% and maintenance (which has been going through the workshop) another 20% ».
The Government, on the other hand, has given its yes to one of the historical demands of the sector. The return of the so-called ‘professional diesel’ will be made monthly and not quarterly as before, which will mean greater stability for carriers, especially for the self-employed and small companies, who have less room for manoeuvre. This tax advantage means a refund of up to 4.9 cents per liter compared to the price paid at gas stations.