Patrick Terminals is set to press ahead with its increases in fees charged to container transport operators for terminal entry from today, 1 March 2021, despite repeated calls for meaningful consultation on the rationale for some of the fees.
Transport operators are bewildered by the introduction of a "Long Vehicle Fee" for every entry of heavy vehicle combinations over 26 metres in length into Patrick's Sydney and Brisbane Autostrad Terminals.
This is seen as a draconian "tax" on higher productivity freight vehicles (i.e. HPFVs: Super B-doubles and A-doubles capable of carrying four Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) at one time), and will cost operators between $36,000 to $108,000 per HPFV vehicle annually**, netting Patrick millions of dollars in added revenue.
The productivity benefits of HPFVs have been enjoyed by transport operators and their import & export customers for some time now through lower unit costs, greater volume productivity, enhanced on-road safety and more environmentally friendly operations for the given freight task. This "tax" erodes those benefits and will simply lead to higher landside transport costs for no gain in productivity, efficiency or service levels.
Through CTAA, transport operators have again asked Patrick not to implement the "Long Vehicle Fee" from today. Instead, Patrick is again invited to the discussion table to address how HPFVs are operated to/from Patrick's Autostrad Terminals in Sydney & Brisbane.
If there are operational productivity and efficiency issues to be addressed regarding the use of HPFVs within Patrick's terminals, then let's address them collaboratively without the imposition of the "Long Vehicle Fee".
Download CTAA Media Release: HERE |