According to the news, French truckers are protesting about the extra costs due to be implemented. Their Government has announced that from October, trucks will have to pay a per kilometer, road charge. A spokesperson said that it is to encourage freight to be sent on the railways, who also charge per kilometer, so there will be no competition as such, how they get it from the freight yard, to the shops, is a different matter, and obviously it will cause delays to the consignment. As we all know, a customer arranges a consignment to be in Lyon the next morning, and so its put on an overnight truck, job done, but when the new charges come into effect, the customer will pay a lot more for transportation, and 1. Have to pay it regardless, or 2. Pay the same rate, but get it when he wants it, to me its robbery, it will obviously affect haulage from other EU members transport companies, i can see it ending in chaos…expect the ferries to strike very soon.
truckyboy:
According to the news, French truckers are protesting about the extra costs due to be implemented. Their Government has announced that from October, trucks will have to pay a per kilometer, road charge. A spokesperson said that it is to encourage freight to be sent on the railways
Or to put it another way it’s a deliberate policy to make road transport less competitive with rail.Which should be grounds for court action.However EU competition law obviously only applies when it suits but not when it doesn’t. 
Carryfast:
truckyboy:
According to the news, French truckers are protesting about the extra costs due to be implemented. Their Government has announced that from October, trucks will have to pay a per kilometer, road charge. A spokesperson said that it is to encourage freight to be sent on the railwaysOr to put it another way it’s a deliberate policy to make road transport less competitive with rail.Which should be grounds for court action.However EU competition law obviously only applies when it suits but not when it doesn’t.
I think the French lorry drivers should make sure they win this one at all costs,because if they don’t there will be riots,then our lot will try it on here,good luck to the froggys,royhebb
I`m pretty certain they will put up a fight, its like threatening their livelyhoods, and as you say, we could be next. Bearing in mind that Dartford Crossing is trialing a camera tolling system to do away with the toll booths, after the trial, it could be rolled out across the uk, just watch this space.
Not really, put the cost on the customer. Sorted.
eastern European trucks will do any road haulage for a lot less than the French will or any other country for that matter the companys will just get eastern European trucks in pretty much like they are doing now cheap wages for them away weeks from home means there bosses can run around for very little cost well a lot less than it costs other companys
hanson:
eastern European trucks will do any road haulage for a lot less than the French will or any other country for that matter the companys will just get eastern European trucks in pretty much like they are doing now cheap wages for them away weeks from home means there bosses can run around for very little cost well a lot less than it costs other companys
synical but spot on,all those people that cheered when the iron curtain came down,bet they arnt cheering now,its one of the worst things that could have happened,were now overrun,royhebb
Silver_Surfer:
Not really, put the cost on the customer. Sorted.
Who will in turn put up the price of what he is selling or providing to his customers, namely us , the consumer. 
Sorted.
Silver_Surfer:
Not really, put the cost on the customer. Sorted.
Until said customer gets a quote from any one of the thousands of PL, LT, RO or BG firms and has the new higher cost off set by the cheaper wages of the eastern European driver who will soon be transporting the same load at the same price, or lower than the French truck did.
Fair point Robinhood. I can however foresee a slight problem with these EE’s providing cheaper haulage and that is the French penchant for burning stuff! I say good on them too, we might whinge and moan about the French willingness to strike, but by God they stick together for their benefit and more importantly (to them) the benefit of France.
Maybe we should take a leaf out of their book instead of just muttering under our breath.
robinhood_1984:
Silver_Surfer:
Not really, put the cost on the customer. Sorted.Until said customer gets a quote from any one of the thousands of PL, LT, RO or BG firms and has the new higher cost off set by the cheaper wages of the eastern European driver who will soon be transporting the same load at the same price, or lower than the French truck did.
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the largest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark.
I assume this is the new ecotaxe, which basically means everybody who runs a truck in France will need a toll box that cover the national and formally free parts of the road network as well paying for the autoroute system.
So it’s not an extra tax on just French truck drivers, but its a scheme for a government looking to raise cash, especially in a country so heavily used by traffic transiting it to get to other parts of Europe.
if the French was going to protest properly over this they will have done it a Cpl of years ago not two months before its due date