The nationwide truckers' strike that ended on Wednesday was likely to impact freight rates adversely for the time being.
Truckers expect at least 10 per cent decline in freight rate across the board as supply would be far exceeding demand.
"It will take at least a month for rates to stabilise," Subhra Jyoti Ghosh, general secretary of Truck Owners Association of Bengal, said.
Since most of the small truck owners have been bleeding due the 10 day strike, there would be urgency to take the vehicle on the road leading to oversupply.
Moreover, truckers feel there may not be too much inventory piled up with industry since production has been badly affected in many companies.
"We are not sure whether there is huge inventory with industry. If there is no sustained supply from industry, the rate would be depressed," Ghosh informed.
He pointed out that rate may fall flat in coming two to three days following which there could be slight upward correction for few days. However, the rate will remain week after that during next thirty days.
Meanwhile, traders believe it would take at least a week for the commodity market to stabilise. Even though loading would start immediately, trucks were unlikely to reach destinations before a week.
Truckers expected heavy congestion on national and state highways in the next one week. The problem would be multiplied at state borders and would be worse in states which levied entry tax or octroi.
For instance, trucks would take at least six to seven days to come from Andhra Pradesh to West Bengal and five days from Delhi. The transit time would be higher by at least 24 hours due to congestion.
For West Bengal, two important items would be pharmaceuticals and perishable commodities like fish and egg. Traders would have to wait for few days to receive pharmaceutical consignments as most pharma manufacturing facilities were located in western India.
"However, those carriers that had been stranded on the road due to strike will come early," industry sources said.
Meanwhile, all truck unions affiliated to All India Motor Transport Congress which called the strike nationally also called off the agitation West Bengal. They include TOAB, Calcutta Goods Truckers Association, etc.
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