Truck drivers end strike at the Port of Santos after approval of Freight MP in the Senate

After two days of demonstrations that impacted the flow of cargo at the Port of Santos, self-employed truck drivers decided to suspend the strike on Tuesday night (14). The decision was taken after the Federal Senate approved the Provisional Measure that updates the rules for road freight transport and reinforces the mechanisms for monitoring the minimum freight rate.

The vote was eagerly awaited by the category, which defended the approval of the proposal as one of the movement’s main demands. With the conclusion of the analysis by the National Congress, the text goes to presidential sanction.

The strike caused important repercussions on the logistics of the largest port in Latin America. During the mobilization, there were partial blockages on strategic access routes to the port complex, causing slowness in cargo transportation and requiring special operations to minimize impacts on truck circulation.

At times, the scene was marked by tension between protesters and security forces. The Military Police worked to clear sections considered critical, and clashes during the operation resulted in the use of riot control equipment, in addition to the record of injuries and arrests.

Changes to road transport

Among the measures foreseen in the new legislation are the strengthening of supervision over compliance with the minimum freight floor, the updating of the criteria for calculating the amounts paid for transport and mechanisms that allow the tables to be revised whenever there are significant fluctuations in the price of diesel.

The text also expands control instruments for transport operations, establishes more severe penalties for companies that disregard the legislation and provides for actions aimed at modernizing the fleet and improving the infrastructure aimed at professional drivers.

According to representatives of the category, the approval of the measure represents progress in the search for greater economic predictability for independent transporters, especially given the frequent variations in operating costs.

Reflections for the Port of Santos

With the end of the mobilization, the port sector expects a gradual normalization of the flow of vehicles at the accesses to the Port of Santos. Logistics operators and terminals monitor the resumption of activities to reduce the accumulation of cargo recorded during the shutdown.

Although the impacts were concentrated in some logistical corridors, the movement highlighted once again the strong dependence of the Brazilian port chain on road transport, responsible for the movement of a large part of the cargo destined for Santos terminals.

The resumption of operations should occur progressively over the next few hours, with priority given to the flow of cargo that remained retained during the protest period.

Article produced by the Jornal Portuário editorial team, based on public information and its own journalistic investigation.