Italy calls off truck strike: government agrees EUR 300mn relief for hauliers

Italy’s Council of Ministers approved an emergency EUR 300mn relief decree late on Friday 2026-05-23, prompting UNATRAS — the umbrella body for Italian road haulage associations — to suspend the planned nationwide truck stoppage that had been set for 25–29 May. The deal, announced from Palazzo Chigi after hours of talks, is the largest single government intervention for Italian trucking in over a decade.

What the EUR 300mn package covers

The decree combines two funding lines. EUR 100mn comes from previously allocated but unspent budget already earmarked for the sector; a further EUR 200mn is new emergency money. Together, the EUR 300mn is directed at fuel-cost relief through a tax-credit mechanism for haulage companies.

Beyond the headline figure, the decree delivers three operational changes that operators will feel immediately.

The quarterly diesel excise reimbursement deadline — Italy’s gasolio commerciale rebate — is cut from 60 days to 30 days, effective October 1, 2026. That halving of the wait time materially improves cash flow for small carriers that run tight credit lines.

The existing 20-cent-per-litre excise cut on commercial diesel, due to expire on May 23, has been extended to June 8, keeping pump prices lower for an additional two weeks while the permanent working group finds its footing.

A permanent working group has been established at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), with the General Council for Road Haulage and Logistics reinstated alongside it. Both bodies are mandated to develop long-term structural policy rather than ad-hoc emergency fixes.

Confartigianato Trasporti called the outcome “crucial” and described the government’s move as a “strong act of responsibility.” UNATRAS characterised the stoppage as suspended, not cancelled — keeping further industrial action on the table if the decree is not implemented as promised.

Why Italian hauliers pushed for emergency action

Fuel has been the breaking point. Italian truckers have paid diesel above EUR 2 per litre for months, and fuel typically represents around 30% of total operating costs for a standard HGV. That margin is existential for the country’s predominantly small-operator market.

The numbers behind the crisis are stark. Italy’s registered haulage companies fell 22.2% over the past decade, from 86,590 firms in 2015 to just 67,349 in 2025. Italy operates 741,500 HGVs over 3.5 tonnes nationally, with Lombardy holding the largest regional fleet, while Trentino-Alto Adige is the only Italian region to have recorded a net increase in carriers over the same period.

The fuel squeeze is not uniquely Italian. According to the IRU’s Q1 2026 European road freight report, EU average diesel prices surged 26% in the first quarter of 2026, jumping from EUR 1.56 per litre at the end of Q4 2025 to EUR 1.96 per litre by the end of Q1 2026. Italy, where the excise regime had already expired once before this intervention, felt that pressure acutely.

The combination of rising fuel costs, a shrinking carrier base, and slow government rebate cycles created a situation where even mid-sized operators were reporting negative operating margins on long-haul loads — the trigger for the UNATRAS ultimatum.

What operators should watch next

The suspension of the May 25–29 strike buys time, but it is explicitly not a permanent resolution. UNATRAS has reserved the right to reinstate action if the decree’s provisions are not enacted on the promised timeline. The immediate watchpoint is June 8: if the excise cut is allowed to lapse again without replacement, expect the working group to face an immediate credibility test.

Longer term, the permanent MIT working group and reinstated General Council will set the agenda for structural reform — excise rebate timelines, fuel tax architecture, and freight rate floors are all on the table.

Operators moving cross-border freight through Italy can check current Italian fuel costs and plan routes on Logifie. For freight capacity on Italian corridors, request a quote now.

Sources: trans.info, 2026-05-25; Italian Council of Ministers press release n. 175; Il Sole 24 ORE; IRU Q1 2026 road freight report