FTAI says hauliers are being priced out of market

The Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTAI) says high operating costs are pricing the country’s transport firms out of the market.

Latest figures show that the number of HGV registrations is out of kilter with trade data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), highlighting the fact that foreign operators are moving most of Ireland’s goods.

Neil McDonnell, General Manager of FTA Ireland, said: “We have consistently warned the Government about the danger of labour substitution by foreign operators. Our drivers are subject to competition from abroad, on both Irish and continental roads. We now have the second most expensive minimum wage in Europe after Luxembourg.

“If we do not control the costs of our internationally-traded services, we will lose them to lower cost locations – primarily to Eastern Europe. We ask all political parties to bear this in mind as Ireland enters the General Election cycle.”

Figures show that Ireland’s HGV fleet is growing at a slow rate and smaller operators have been squeezed out by firms with bigger fleets.

Mr McDonnell said: “The CSO figures for October 2015 show imports up 9% and exports up 21% on the same period in 2014. This is completely out of line with the growth in HGV registrations, so whoever is moving Irish goods, it’s not Irish operators.”.