Russian trucking companies raise rates at least 10% as fuel crisis spreads to 84 regions

Russian logistics companies have begun sending clients notices of price increases for freight trucking. Rates will rise by at least 10% starting July 1, Kommersant reported, citing market participants. Carriers attribute the increase to a fuel crisis that has already affected 84 regions of Russia and occupied territories.

"Today we received a notification from our fellow trucking companies about a tariff increase: starting July 1, they announced an increase of at least 10%. I can assume this is not the limit," said Tatyana Patuzhnaya, co-founder of the Sigma group of logistics and transport companies.

Igor Rebelsky, founder of VIG Trans, noted that domestic shipping rates are still "relatively stable" but that conditions for an increase have already formed. Some companies operating in the international transport segment have already raised prices by about 5%.

The situation is worst in annexed Crimea, southern Russia, and Siberia, The Insider reported, citing business owners surveyed. The cost of freight trucking from China has risen by an average of $700 per trip, said Georgy Vlastopulo, head of the company Optimalog. Meanwhile, the average daily mileage of trucks has dropped from 600-700 kilometers to 500 kilometers.

Andrey Zelinsky, general director of Pontis Expedition, said carriers are refusing long-distance trips due to uncertainty about fuel availability at gas stations and are instead preferring orders within 100-150 kilometers. At the company NC Logistic, they added that carriers are either not accepting orders at all or are "significantly inflating" prices. On certain major highway routes, rate increases have reached 10%.

The Telegram channel Astra reported that the cost of transport from Rostov-on-Don to annexed Crimea reaches up to 500,000 rubles. The land corridor to the occupied territories is subject to shelling by the Ukrainian army: since the beginning of May, about 500 strikes on trucks have been recorded.

According to The Insider as of June 26, fuel sale restrictions are already in effect in 84 regions of Russia and in occupied territories. Regional authorities explain the shortage as a result of "logistics restructuring" and high seasonal demand, without linking it to Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes on oil refining infrastructure.

There is no alternative to road transport on most routes in Russia, market participants note. Rail transport loses to trucking in flexibility and delivery times, so cargo has "nowhere to flow."

Carriers surveyed by The Bell noted that the frequency of refueling trucks has increased by 1.5 to 3 times, making additional costs objective. A direct truck from China to Moscow still costs about 800,000 rubles, but the fuel surcharge has risen by 50,000-70,000 rubles. Some market participants do not rule out that freight could become 30% more expensive in the future.