The second is the mutation of our economy

The French road freight International is a deadlock. "Her sinking is the French road freight the black record," admits Jean-Paul Deneuville, Delegate General of the National Federation of road hauliers (FNTR). "The situation was critical for six or seven years, it is tragic for two years," confirmed Jacques - Henri Garban, Delegate General of the Association of international road transport (Aftri), stressing that since 2004, there are less of a truck on four bearing the colours of the French to secure the transport of French trade, against one in 1996 and almost three in four on some destinations like the Italy twenty-five years ago. International carriers that continue to work with their vehicles and their French drivers, as Transcargo on the Maghreb or the refrigeration sector SMEs, become more and more rare.

Tail of platoon

The latest study by the Ministry of transport on the figures for 2004 shows that national flags in Europe on average 45 of road international trade of their country, but that the French Pavilion provides more than 23 in. The France is in tail of platoon, while in contrast, Polish carriers hold the record with 86 of products transported with their own trucks. "In France, the situation continued to deteriorate in 2006 and it will be not better in 2007 with the arrival of two new entrants to the European Union, the Romania and the Bulgaria," added the head of the Aftri.

The drama is not first of the countries of the East. For Stéphane Levesque, delegated to Road Transport activities as France logistics (TLF), this phenomenon, which appears to be irreversible, "illustrates the loss of competitiveness of French companies". "The price of transport is European, but costs are national," summarize Alain Bréau and Alain Fauqueur, the two co-chairs of the Professional Federation. It is well on the side of costs that the shoe pinches. Jean-Paul Meyronneinc, an associate professor at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) explains how the French are very disabled in this matter. The most sensitive difference is that of social productivity and the calculation of working time, which adds to conduct all wait times. It is the legacy of the "contracts of progress" of 1994.

A second negative element hiding in taxes on diesel fuel. The absence of harmonisation on social and fiscal matters, therefore, give a double benefit to many neighbors as the Spain, where the calculation of working time is more narrow and the equivalent of the lesser TIPP. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that this country is the most offensive on the French market. Between 2000 and 2004, the Spanish Pavilion at the international flew 60, while that of the France during the same period fell by more than 20. Most of the neighbouring countries, major economic partners of the France (Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy) are gaining market share. The only exception is the Belgium where many small companies of road transport are losing ground to the Dutch.

French, side offset social and tax was accentuated by the choice of carriers and service providers. Some French companies that were specialized on intra-European traffic, as Leleu in the sum, have repatriated their international activities on domestic traffic. Large groups of transport and logistics have delocalized part of their activities by multiplying the subsidiaries abroad, including Poland and Slovakia, to accompany French distributors and industrial. Some have developed a regular, or even dedicated foreign outsourcing or franchised. FM Logistic, which is launched in transport international two years and a half, has to immediately entrusted the cockpit in Polish teams and selected carriers are 80 dedicated foreigners.

Then came the opening in the coasting trade since 1998, followed by a few years later by EU enlargement to ten new members in 2004. These two events have increased the pressure of the foreigners. In addition, the rules of the game the coasting trade are not clear, complains Jean-Paul Deneuville. Even if this type of transport carried out by non-residents within the French territory represents only 3 of the volumes of transport in France, it is growing exponentially.

Cultural reason

Jean-Paul Meyronneinc sees two other structural explanation explaining the collapse of the international French carriers. The first is linked to French exporters, some encourage their national flag but leave the buyer handle transport and cultural. The second is the mutation of our economy. "Thirty or forty years ago, he said, it was easy to complete truck Moscow or Lisbon. Since then, the economy has evolved towards more fractionated products and complex flow assuming grouping-unbundling steps. A vehicle from France with a commodity for Moscow the files in a hub in Frankfurt. "On these two tables, the Germany is winning. On the first, its exporters sell German products with German transport. On the second, the geographical position of the Germany has become more central with the enlarged Europe.