Big business threatened to withdraw from legal road trucking

Approximately 30% of trucking companies risk bankruptcy as early as next year. In practice, the profitability of large trucking companies in 2024 amounted to -17%, a member of AvtoGruzEx Association, president of Iteco told Izvestia Evgeny Babaev. He explained that this is an operating loss.

The companies are in this situation for several reasons at once: it is the growth of costs by 11% due to the constantly rising key rate, and the weakening of the ruble, and the increase in credit and leasing payments. In addition, the situation is developing against the background of falling demand for transportation and, as a consequence, a 12% reduction in tariffs. Only gray firms that save on tax deductions and insurance premiums when issuing salaries can operate in such conditions.

"Conscientious businesses cannot compete with companies that use such schemes. Enterprises will be forced to reduce their market share or go into the shadows. Therefore, some players in 2025 are preparing for this as the only way to survive," Babaev explained.

The business told about the current situation at a meeting with First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Transport Valentin Ivanov at the end of November. Large companies will soon send a description of the general situation and their proposals to the Ministry of Transportation, as well as to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said AvtoGruzEx.

Large business determines the gray segment of the road transportation market in 65-70%, and about 30-35% of the industry players carry out legal cargo transportation activities, said in a joint study of AvtoGruzEx, Association of bona fide taxpayers "RADO", PEC, DIZI Group and Dentro.

Market participants intend to ask the authorities to make comprehensive amendments to the industry regulation system, emphasized Vadim Filatov, Deputy Director of PEC. The purpose of the changes is to exclude unfair competition and return everyone to the same conditions.

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Shades of gray: big business threatened to withdraw from legal road freight transportation