Summary All about the truckers' strike
Mismatch 120,000 truckers are wanted: the demand shoots up 52% in a year but they pay 2.1% less
The exponential rise in the price of fuel
- diesel has become 37% more expensive so far this year - and the request that its services cannot be contracted below operating costs
were the two main reasons that led to the carriers' strike that took place in March.
The measures already taken by the Government -such as the 20 cent discount on fuel- as well as the promise to guarantee a minimum return to these professionals defused the protests.
Although the truckers had and will continue to have another Damocles sword hanging over their heads: the fines they face, which can reach up to 18,000 euros.
Double penalty: as driver and owner
In addition, the punishment is double in the case of the self-employed who drive the vehicle and are also its owners: to the sanctions for not complying
with the road transport ordinance, we must add those that correspond to them for violating the Traffic Law.
For example, for using the cell phone without hands-free, speeding or testing positive for alcohol or drugs.
To locate ourselves,
only the scale of sanctions prepared by the Ministry of Public Works has almost 450 pages explaining infinite infractions and their amount.
Of course, for all types of transport (also for people, health or rental vehicles) and for all other agents (such as chargers) that participate in the process.
From 100 to 6,001 euros
The amounts of the sanctions range between
100 and 400 euros in the case of minor ones;
they range from 401 to 1,000 in the serious ones and the very serious ones are classified into two groups.
The first implies fines of 1,001 to 2,000 euros.
In the second they range from 2001 to 4,000 euros.
In these last infractions, the amount will be
between 6,001 and 18,000 euros if the person responsible had already been sanctioned for any of these reasons in the previous 12 months.
Among the most punished behaviors are aspects related to
the tachograph
(not carrying it or having manipulated it);
provide the service without having the enabling title;
exceed driving times;
failing to comply with rest periods and certain excess loads.
To this must be added that many infractions entail the so-called Loss of Honor, which means being temporarily disqualified as a carrier.
Limit the economic impact
According to the defense company for motorists Dvuelta,
exceeding the driving time, together with excess load, are the most frequent sanctions, with 53% of the cases.
The following epigraph refers to the so-called Transport Card, with 15%;
the Registration Sheet, represents another 9%;
the tachograph, 6% and the cases of foreign drivers without a certificate add another 5%.
The situation can be dramatic if more than one very serious sanction is imposed because, although
there is a discount for prompt payment, this is 30% and not 50% as in Traffic regulations.
For this reason, from DVuelta they ask for urgent measures to relax this economic impact on already very battered accounts.
For example, converting that payment into ICO credits or establishing moratoriums and installments by the different Administrations.
Present in 13% of claims
Their control over carriers and the harshness of the sanctioning system is justified by the characteristics of the trucks and the added responsibility of transporting people or dangerous goods.
In this sense,
Traffic recalls that trucks and coaches play a very important role in Road Safety.
On the one hand, they are the second most numerous vehicle after passenger cars, with 14% of the fleet.
On the other hand, in 2020 they were involved in 13% of the claims with victims.
Accidents that are more severe due to their mass and dimensions, which means that the number of vehicles is the loser.
For example, in the
2,705 accidents suffered by trucks in 2020, there were 199 deaths.
Of them, 154 (77%) were in a car, motorcycle, van or another truck.
Three out of every four accidents occurred on the road, which aggravated its consequences.
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