Ukrainian transport companies are now utilizing a costly but effective solution to bypass the Polish trucker blockade at border crossings, with the Ukrainian companies loading trucks onto rail cars and transporting them across the border.
The strategy, aimed at mitigating the impact of the ongoing protest by Polish transport companies, costs €1,600 for each truck loaded onto a rail platform. According to Volodymyr Balin, the vice president of the Association of International Road Carriers, Ukrainian exporters are preparing for this shift in transport method.
Balin revealed that the first train, equipped with 23 wagons, departed on Dec. 4. The train, carrying oversized freight, was designed to transport trucks from Ukraine to Poland, where they would be unloaded and continue their journey via road.
Footage showing the trucks being transported on train platforms appeared on social media:
The protest by Polish carriers, which has been ongoing since Nov. 6, stems from European Union decisions that favored the Ukrainian transport industry over Poland’s. The EU exempted Ukrainian companies from the commercial license requirement that Polish companies need to enter Ukraine. This exemption has led to Ukrainian firms increasingly capturing the Polish market, resulting in losses for Polish carriers.
Polish transporters are demanding the restoration of normal economic relations, including reinstating the permit system for Ukrainian firms to transport goods, with exceptions for humanitarian aid and supplies for the Ukrainian military.
