THE Integrated North Harbor Truckers Association (INHTA) will collect a higher fuel surcharge possibly starting February 1.
Documents obtained by PortCalls showed INHTA will impose an additional P172 fuel surcharge for the delivery of containerized cargoes within Metro Manila. This comes two months after the fuel surcharge was jacked up by the same amount.
INHTA — composed of three trucking associations operating within North Harbor — said the increase is inevitable with the continuing spike in fuel prices, particularly diesel fuel.
INHTA has already asked its partner association Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA) to advise its clients, mostly members of the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines, to brace for the increased surcharge.
INHTA explained the oil price threshold it agreed with PLSA based on Pilipinas Shell's wholesale posted price (WPP) of diesel fuel had been breached several times over.
The agreement allows INHTA to impose an automatic fuel surcharge of at least 3% of the current hauling rate for every P5 per liter increase in diesel pump prices based on the WPP. The agreement also compels INHTA to automatically reduce the surcharge by the same percentage for every P5 decrease in diesel prices based on the WPP.
In a separate development, the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines increased trucking rates by 20% due to higher fuel prices and toll fees and congestion at the Manila ports.
