We talked with Dursun Şahin, President of S.S. Gemerek Motor-Vehicles Cooperative No. 19, about the problems as well as solutions for the transportation sector and the cooperative's members have made important statements to MY TRUCK Magazine. The cooperative's members are offering transportation services to tenders with their R1 certifications. We talked to the cooperative members on all the details about weighbridge weighing errors, uninvoiced commissions of companies, reduced profits due to increasing fuel prices.

Cooperative's President Şahin has stated that their cooperative offers transportation services to tenders with its R1 document and said: "Our tender prices are fixed annually according to the contract year; however, last year diesel price was only 4.70 TL. This year, it has reached 6.30 TL. It has increased by over 50 percent. In addition, transportation costs have changed by 3-4 percent. Last year, we've bought our tires over a tender for 1 thousand 200 TL. This year, we're buying it at 2 thousand 200 TL." and indicated that they have been negatively impacted by the fluctuations in the currency and the increasing petrol prices.

"We're Purchasing Our Construction Machines with The Burden of A 26 Percent Tax"

Şahin said that after carrying beets from Gemerek to Kayseri, they carry feed on their way back from Kayseri to Gemerek. He said: "The main mission of cooperatives is to organize transportation. A stand-alone transporter wouldn't get that much efficiency in this business. The state needs to give us support. We're purchasing our construction machines with the burden of a 26 percent tax. The state supports farmers and we support farmers as well. Normally, farmers themselves need to load their product on the truck; but, in order to make sure that their products can reach the factory in time, we get in the mud and load it with diggers. When farmers are buying agricultural machines, they receive agriculture incentives from the state; however, we can only take out commercial loans. That's why the interest rates are very high for us."

Şahin has stated that they've made some attempts at solving this issue but they couldn't resolve it because there were no farmlands registered under the cooperative's title. He said: "If this problem was resolved, our drivers could renew their trucks on their own, we would demand less subscription fees from our cooperative's members and our efficiency performance would rise even more." and indicated that the problems need to be solved as soon as possible.

"I Want the State to Introduce a Floor Price Application for Credit Support and Ton/Km Calculations"

Şahin has indicated that they purchase their construction machines in Euro currency because they are import products and said that they have difficulties in repayments: "The state offers affordable credits to farmers and artisans. So why won't it offer the same rights to the transportation sector? If the state provided more affordable credits for construction machines, we would be able to do more business. Currently there are times when we can't get a job due to lack of construction machines. On behalf of my cooperative, as the President of our Cooperative, I would like to ask our President and our Prime minister to introduce a floor price application for credit support and ton/km calculations. Otherwise, we fall into the hands of farmers and they try to take the prices down."

 "Weighbridges Provide Different Results Even Though We Carry a Fixed Load"

A member of the Gemerek Transporters Cooperative, Erdoğan Arslan works as an independent transporter and he talked about the most recent weighbridge issue that came up in the transportation sector. Arslan has pointed out the unfair sanctions and said: "We used to go on the inspection weighbridges of the General Directorate of Highways twice; if there were any incorrect calculations on the first weighbridge, it would be resolved on the second one. Nowadays, they reduced it down to a single weighbridge. Weighbridges provide different results even though our load is within legal limits and even though we carry a fixed load. It can vary between 100 to 500 kg between different weighbridges."

"They Can Purchase Cheap Diesel Because the State Doesn't Demand Special Consumption Tax from Them"

Arslan has stated that C2-certified logistics companies that operate in both domestic and foreign markets are not required to pay a Special Consumption Tax and that they operate by using cheap diesel. He said: "We can't use our K1 certifications to go abroad. But on top of that right, C2 logistics companies come and take away our jobs in the domestic market. When we're carrying a load from here to İzmir or İstanbul, we carry a kilogram of cargo for 100 TL. But they can cut the prices and carry it for 50 TL per kg. They can purchase cheap diesel because the state doesn't demand special consumption tax from them. We can't make any discounts because we're subject to that tax. Another issue is that the state has made invoices dependent on bank accounts in order to prevent tax evasion. However, that also made things worse for us. We make the transport but they don't pay the cash in time. The state needs to put a new regulation into force to solve this issue. It could impose heavy penalties on companies."

"Traffic Insurance and Vehicle Insurance Cost Us 10 Thousand TL Each Year"

Arslan has stated that the annually required traffic insurance and vehicle insurances have been standardized to create an insurance pool. He has indicated that the state needs to find a solution to this problem: "Traffic insurance and vehicle insurance cost us 10 thousand TL each year. We can pay that fee only by borrowing."

 "We Want a Lower Tax Burden"

One of the members of the cooperative Oktay Sarıhan has argued that there are a lot of non-chargeable expenses in transportation and that the exaggerated commission fees are some of the worst of those expenses. Sarıhan said: "When we want to carry a load to İzmir, the company demands 250-300 TL as commission and the state considers it as profit. However, we can't invoice that fee."

Sarıhan has also argued that the tax system needs to be amended: "The state demands an advance tax, provisional tax, income tax and stamp tax for our commercial vehicles. This tax burden significantly lowers our standard of living. We want a lower tax burden."

Gemerek Transporters Cooperative Board Member Caner Vural said: "We demand that the road inspections should be applied not just for trucks and lorries but passenger vehicles as well. When a traffic police sees a truck or lorry, they immediately hail us. Also, there hasn't been any announcement on whether the digital tachograph transition period will be extended. After 4.5 hours of driving, we can rest for 45 minutes and drive for another 4.5 hours. We want that to be adapted to our conditions."

Cooperative Member Kenan Arslan has stated that there should be a vehicle quote on logistics and fleet systems: "A fleet or logistics company with 250-300 vehicles can cut our transportation costs and just gain profits out of demand." He has emphasized that the officials must take measures against these issues as soon as possible.

"They Don't Allow Us on The Weighbridge for The Second Time"

Murat Pekyürek has indicated that they are conducting the operations of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, a public institution and argued that the weighbridge issue must be solved immediately: "I've set out from the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives in Sivas towards Balıkesir with a 41 thousand 600-kilogram cargo. I went to the weighbridge in Elmadağ and was fined for 42-ton 10 kilograms. We set out with full tanks; so, we're not adding any additional loads. As we consume diesel on the road, it should weigh less. However, the weighbridge over measures it. As I was sure of myself, I continued my route and went to another weighbridge in Temelli. This time, I was fined for 42 ton 100kg. We're not even making proper amount of money and on top of that, I have been fined twice on a single day. I stopped and called the gendarmerie, told them that two weighbridges measure different amounts but they fine us for it. They said that won't be able to do anything. They separately fine both the loading company and the driver for 1 thousand 800 liras. I wanted to go to the weighbridge with the gendarmerie and prove myself but I couldn't. In order to appeal, I took my weighbridge slip and went back to the Agricultural Credit Feed Factory in Balıkesir. Let's say that I've unloaded the cargo to prove myself but I didn't have any deficit. So, let's say I had the same weight at the weighbridge as the weight I've delivered. I've consumed so much diesel and yet, the vehicle seems to be heavier on the weighbridge. This is not just my problem. It is a general issue. Of course, automatic transmission vehicles can suddenly accelerate and that's why the weighbridge weights the vehicle a bit higher. There is no such issue on manual transmission vehicles; but on automatic transmission, you may accidentally push the gas pedal a bit further and the weighbridge shows a heavier load. And they don't allow us on the weighbridge for the second time. If you suddenly stop on the weighbridge, it might weigh heavier. But they don't allow us to go on the weighbridge for the second time. These must be tolerated. Even if the weighbridge is not weighing incorrectly, it may seem to weigh more because it is accelerating."

Pekyürek has also argued that in order to fill their daily inspection quotas, traffic police stop truck drivers without necessity and that they should stop doing that as soon as possible.

"Transportation Rates Are Five Years Behind the Market"

Sezgin Karaman has stated that they are working on the Gemerek-İzmir-Kayseri route and that transportation commissioners are not inspected. Karaman said: "They demand 250-300 TL of commission for transporting a 2 thousand TL cargo. Aside from a few companies, they don't invoice us for that amount and obtain untaxed gains."

"Passenger Vehicles Stay on Our Blind Spots and Cause Accidents and Then They Blame Us for The Accident"

Karaman has stated that they are trying to cope with the burden of traffic insurance, vehicle insurance and taxes. He said: "These cost us about 10 thousand TL each year. If you're involved in an accident with any damages, traffic insurance goes up to 6-7 thousand TL. The unit price can increase according to the property damage you've caused to the opposite party and those costs wear us out. In the past, we could get traffic insurance for a thousand or 2 thousand TL. We're already paying for vehicle insurance. General Directorate of Highways has significantly increased the traffic insurance rates. This has left us in a grave situation. Passenger vehicles stay on our blind spots and cause accidents. Then, they blame us for the accident, which increases our insurance costs even further. In one of the accidents, a traffic police gave 50 percent of the offence to me and that raised my vehicle insurance rate from 2 thousand 900 TL to 6 thousand 400 TL. There is an imbalance in insurance fees. When we deduct the fuel costs, we're only left with the VAT and we have to pay that to the state."

Karaman has underlined that transportation rates must be increased: "Transportation rates are five years behind the market.  Logistics companies and factories agree to transport for 3 thousand TL but then give us 2 thousand TL. They are clearly making an unfair profit from there."

"We Want Inspectors in Logistics to Inspect Tax Evaders and Commissioners"

Karaman has indicated that they have issues with account transfers: "Money transfers over 5 thousand TL must now be transferred using a bank transfer. That's why companies are using it. For example; when they owe me 8 thousand TL, they transfer 3 thousand TL to my account and say that they will pay the rest in cash. But on top of not paying that amount, they begin insulting us. We want inspectors in logistics to inspect tax evaders and commissioners.  They receive non-invoiced commissions and we can't show it as expense."