TRIESTE – The stoppage announced by hauliers signals a structural crisis: in Veneto, up to 700-800 companies risk closing by the end of the year due to lack of liquidity.
The sector counts more than 6,500 companies in the region, but according to estimates by the CGIA research office, one in five may not survive 2026. The main factor is the cost of diesel, which accounts for around 30% of operating costs together with personnel. With prices steadily above 2 euros per litre, many small operators can no longer sustain their activity.

Diesel currently averages 2.135 euros per litre at self-service pumps. Compared with the start of the crisis in the Gulf, the increase is 24% (+0.415 euros), while since 31 December the rise has reached 30.6% (+0.50 euros). For a heavy goods vehicle with a 500-litre tank, a full tank costs more than 1,060 euros. On an annual basis, fuel expenditure can exceed 76,000 euros per vehicle, around 17,500 euros more than in 2025.

The problem is not only the price, but financial management. Diesel has to be paid for immediately, while hauliers are paid after 60, 90 or even 120 days. This imbalance creates strong cash-flow pressure: companies advance liquidity without having yet collected payment for services already carried out. In many cases, the halt does not stem from a lack of work but from the impossibility of covering current costs.

Protection tools exist, such as the fuel surcharge that adjusts rates to fuel prices. But they often do not work. Small operators have limited bargaining power and adjustments arrive late compared with price increases, leaving the most critical phase uncovered.

Public measures also show limits. The cut in excise duties temporarily reduced pump prices, but it also lowered the tax rebate granted on professional diesel. The result is a neutral or negative effect for hauliers. The announced tax credit, moreover, is not yet operational and would concern only a limited part of the vehicle fleet.

On the commercial relations front, many clients dispute or reduce the application of the fuel surcharge. Some refuse the adjustment, others recognise it only in part, excluding the portion linked to the excise duty cut. This further shifts the burden of higher costs onto transport companies.

The crisis has deep roots. In Veneto, over the past ten years, the number of companies has fallen from 8,808 to 6,666 (-24.3%), a decline sharper than the national average. Similar dynamics are also recorded in Friuli Venezia Giulia (-30.5%). In addition to economic crises, the sector has been affected by competition from foreign carriers and consolidation processes, which have mainly reduced the number of micro-enterprises.