• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The trucking guild celebrated its day with a meeting centered in Valparaíso, where authorities from the Government of Chile and representatives of the transport sector were convened to be part of the event.
The event took place at the facilities of the Valparaíso Port Passenger Terminal, a point where the President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast, arrived, along with the biminister of Public Works and Transport and Telecommunications, Louis de Grange, and the Minister of Finance, Jorge Quiroz.
Likewise, the event was attended by the head of the National Confederation of Truck Owners of Chile (CNDC), Juan Araya, and the president of the National Confederation of Cargo Transport of Chile (CNTC), Sergio Pérez.
During the meeting, President Kast expressed that "I want to thank the truckers for working in unity. I am glad to see Mr. Juan and Mr. Sergio, because last year there was more tension and this is very remarkable for Chile. Thank you for the work you have done, this is incredible and speaks of what Chile is capable of in finding unity when we have complex situations."
"You are a tremendous team, beyond the fact that each one has to compete for cargo and provide the best services, but you are still a team. We have a tremendous future ahead, we count on you, we count on that dialogue that can solve a thousand problems. The difficulty is when there is no dialogue and when there are only insults, shouts, words spoken in passing; when one speaks with the truth, there is nothing to fear," said the head of state.
For his part, Sergio Pérez, president of the CNDC, commented that "for decades, truckers have accompanied the growth and development of the country, connecting its territories, supplying communities and making it possible for production to reach every destination in a timely manner. They put up barricades during the social unrest, we jumped the barricade and supplied the nation. The Confederation, its federations and associations have consolidated as one of the main guild impressions of cargo transporters, representing their needs and building proposals for the development of the activity."
"The country needs unity, agreements, certainties and a shared vision to face its challenges. Cargo transport is available to contribute to that roadmap, putting Chile's interest first. Let's not forget that the truck cargo transport industry represents more than 5% of the GDP. Today, we operate more than 250,000 trucks and provide direct, formal and legal employment to more than 400,000 people," Pérez remarked.
Iván Mateluna, president of the Federation of Truck Owners of the Fifth Region (Fedequinta) and vice president of the CNTC, stated that "we have many difficulties, apart from the rampant crime where our trucks are stolen, and drivers are assaulted and kidnapped. It has been difficult for us. After the change of government, we have received news that the fiscal coffers are not well, they have hit us very hard with the issue of fuel."
"We believe that truckers are the ones who supply the country, but we also want respect from cargo generators, from the authorities in office, because we all pass through at some point. Even many cargo generators today do not exist and many transporters do not exist either. Sometimes, I say that we are passing through, and when we are passing through, let's do things well. We have come with a willingness to listen," asserted the head of Fedequinta.
