Exporters hurt by new truck load limit – lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - Exporters are complaining about the new truck load limit prescribed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Rep. Arnel Ty of the party-list group Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association said Saturday.

“Exporters are reeling from the harsh truck load limit. They have to deal with delays in the arrival of imported raw materials. Then they also have to cope with holdups in the shipment of their finished products,” he said.

He said the DPWH should review its new regulation on the weight limit for the largest cargo trucks.

Ty made the statement shortly after the National Statistics Office reported that the country’s January to April merchandise exports fell by $1.392 billion, or eight percent, to $16.122 billion, compared to $17.514 billion in the same four-month period in 2012.

Under the new load limit rule, the gross weight for a 22-wheel truck-trailer with six axles has been reduced by 25 percent to 45,000 kilos from the previous 55,000 to 60,000 kilos. The lower limit is meant to ease the physical strain on Luzon’s aging network of roads and bridges.

Ty said the revised rule has also caused port congestions that have slowed down shipments.

“The port jams are being caused by inadequate weighing scales. In some ports, there is simply not enough weighing equipment around,” he said.

He said the reduced weight limit could jack up fuel and food prices, since it means increased transport cost for producers and distributors. A producer who used to deliver his products in four trips would now have to add an extra trip, he added.