Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Fuel Protests Spread Worldwide

Just as fuel protests in Britain and Belgium are winding down, truckers in Poland, Spain and Ireland are getting ready for another round of demonstrations. And on this side of the Atlantic, Canadian truckers are threatening a protest for Monday

by Staff
September 15, 2000
4 min to read


Just as fuel protests in Britain and Belgium are winding down, truckers in Poland, Spain and Ireland are getting ready for another round of demonstrations. And on this side of the Atlantic, Canadian truckers are threatening a protest for Monday.

Protests are coming to an end in Britain and Belgium, where traffic has begun to flow normally.
According to Reuters, a priority-fueling list is in effect in Britain, where designated jobs such as emergency services and necessary deliveries have first call on the pumps.
Truckers in Belgium removed most road barricades early today after the most radical of the country’s three trucker groups relented. They accepted a government deal already approved by the other two to end protests over high fuel prices. According to published reports, the Union of Professional Highway Transporters, the single holdout group, put out a call to its members late yesterday to end the protest movement, although it did not immediately join the other two groups in signing the accord with the government.
The compromise agreement called for cuts in road taxes, insurance and social charges totaling $73 million, rather than the "professional" fuel price reduction the truckers had wanted.
Protests in other countries, however, are just heating up.
Poland: Polish truckers have confirmed that they are ready to slow traffic nationwide today after talks with the government on lowering the price of diesel by 30 percent fell through, according to the Agence France Press.
Thousands of truck drivers have been called on by the Association of Polish International Transporters to slow traffic down in cities and highways throughout the day.
Talks held yesterday between trucking associations and government officials at the transportation ministry lasted more than 10 hours but didn't yield any results, reported AFP. Finance Minister Jaroslaw Bauc has ruled out any cut in the excise tax on fuel, saying it was too important for government revenues. The government has hinted it may lower relatively minor import duties on petrol to boost competitiveness on the retail fuel market as a concession to the truckers.
Spain: Spanish truckers joined in the wave of protests against high fuel prices today as well, with trucks and taxis blocking traffic on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Barcelona.
Officials said dozens of protestors staged a go-slow operation on main access roads to the center of the city, provoking several traffic jams on area highways.
According to the AFP, other demonstrations were scheduled later today in Merida and Segovia.
Ireland: Meanwhile, Irish truckers are participating in a 24-hour stoppage today that is sparking traffic delays on many of the country's main roads.
According to AFP, the campaign was organized by the Irish Road Haulage Association after they failed to win a commitment for a 33 percent cut in diesel duty at a meeting earlier this week with Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
The truckers' protests focused on ports, main national routes, bridges and roundabouts leading into Dublin, as well as the cities of Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Sligo and Galway. Private cars and emergency vehicles were allowed to pass through partial blockades in some areas, but commercial vehicles were stopped.
Norway: Before Norwegian truckers decide whether to join in on the fuel protests, trucker spokesmen said today the government had given them "positive signals" on a possible reduction of diesel fuel taxes.
"We have received positive signals in the sense that we have been assured that this issue was examined in the context of the 2001 draft budget," Gunnar Apeland, director of the NLF road transport union, told AFP.
Apeland's remarks followed an hour-long meeting with Finance Minister Karl Eirik Schjoett-Pedersen. Apeland has previously threatened a strike of road transport workers if taxes on diesel fuel were not reduced.
"There could be some kind of action next week," Apeland said. "The NLF leadership will meet tomorrow to decide how to proceed."
Italy: After two days of talks, Italy's main truckers' unions said today that they had reached a deal with the government that included a 5-cent drop in the price of a liter of fuel.
Union leaders threatened strike action unless fuel prices were cut, but finally reached a deal with the government late yesterday.
The lower price for fuel will be obtained by cutting the tax on fuel, with the reduced price holding at least until the end of the year. Oil industry representatives also signed up to the deal, agreeing to cut the gross price of fuel sold directly to truckers, reported AFP.
Transport Minister Pierluigi Bersani welcomed the agreement, in which the government also undertook to closely monitor fuel prices and to hold more meetings with truckers' representatives.
Canada: Hundreds of independent truckers could park their rigs on Ontario
roadways at 12:01 a.m. Monday if they do not win concessions on rising diesel fuel prices, reported the Toronto Star.
The National Truckers Association plans to make a final appeal to Ontario's government today for a break on fuel taxes. If that fails, members could agree to park their trucks when they meet Sunday morning.
Truckers in Newfoundland and Labrador are also threatening fuel protests, Bill Wellman, president of the NTA, told the paper.
"With the price of diesel fuel today, we are just not making any money," Wellman told the Star. He said he probably will not be able to make the payments on his three trucks this month.

Topics:Equipment

More Equipment

Western Star pulling double trailers in the Permian Basic for Atlas Energy Solutions
Fleet Management•by Deborah Lockridge•October 30, 2026

Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking

An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.

Read More →
A GP Transco tractor-trailer crosses a bridge over a river, with trailer side skirts visible beneath the white trailer.
Fuel Smarts•by Deborah Lockridge•October 27, 2026

How GP Transco Builds Fuel Savings a Fraction at a Time

Aerodynamic specs, solar panels, and driver incentives help GP Transco turn small efficiency gains into savings it can reinvest in its people.

Read More →
YouTube thumbnail showing man being interviewed and backup camera and in-cab screen showing backup video
Safety & Compliance•by Deborah Lockridge•October 23, 2026

More Trailer Data Through the Same Seven-Way [Video]

Can trucking’s standard seven-way connector handle more cameras and trailer data? Grote’s Adam Slade shows HDT how the company is using new technology with its 4See trailer system, not only to add a new backup camera but also to expand other capabilities — without adding another connection.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Rear view camera on back of a semi trailer
Equipment•by Deborah Lockridge•October 23, 2026

Grote: More Cameras, Same Seven-Way Connector

The next-generation 4See rear-view backup camera from Grote uses the standard seven-way connector and supports additional cameras and other trailer data.

Read More →
wide angle photo of trade show booth with big "Mack" sign above, red Mack truck in the foreground
Equipment•by Deborah Lockridge•October 20, 2026

Trucks at ATA's 2026 MC&E in Charlotte, North Carolina [Photos]

From rigs decked out in patriotic America's 250 paint schemes to autonomous trucks and more, check out these photos from ATA's 2026 Management Conference & Exhibition.

Read More →
2027 HDT Top 20 Products logo beside “Nominations Open” text and images of 2026 award winners: a Cummins engine, Lytx dash cam, and Michelin truck tire.
Equipment•by Staff•October 16, 2026

Help HDT Find Trucking’s Top Products

Have you come across a new product that could make a difference for trucking fleets? Nominate it for HDT’s 2027 Top 20 Products Awards by November 9.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Yellow Volvo VNS heavy-haul sleeper truck with rugged tires and prominent grille, parked at night on a snow-covered lot beside a black truck, with a Volvo construction machine on a trailer behind it.
Equipment•by Wayne Parham•October 14, 2026

Volvo Unveils New VNX Heavy-Haul and Vocational Truck

Volvo Trucks has launched the VNX, a new vocational truck also available as a tractor in day cab and two sleeper configurations, with one heavy-haul model. The Volvo VNX is powered by Volvo's D13 platform, which delivers up to 540 horsepower and 1,950 pound-feet of torque and is EPA 2027-compliant.  

Read More →
Youtube thumbnail showing two people with a truck and the word "fuel" behind them, the HDT Talks Trucking logo, and the words "Small Gains. Big Savings."
Fuel Smarts•by Deborah Lockridge•October 12, 2026

How GP Transco Cuts Trucking Fuel Costs, a Tenth of a Gallon at a Time

What’s another tenth of a mile per gallon worth? GP Transco shares how equipment upgrades and driver coaching turn small gains into meaningful fuel savings.

Read More →
Photo of electric OrangeEV terminal tractor with a Lazer Logistics trailer
Equipment•by Staff•October 6, 2026

Electric Yard Tractors Move Beyond Pilots

Operating-cost savings have overtaken sustainability goals as the leading reason surveyed fleets are adopting battery-electric terminal tractors, according to new NACFE research.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two truck tires with a muted highway background
Maintenance•by News/Media Release•October 2, 2026

Continental Introduces New Regional Truck Tires

Continental says its new Generation 5 steer and drive tires for regional operations offer longer tread life, with estimated mileage gains of 22% and 19%, respectively.

Read More →