Hauliers in the Balearics are calling for calm in the face of delays in the distribution of goods. The president of the Balearic Freight Transport Association, Ezequiel Horrach, attributes this to backlogs caused by stoppages over recent weeks.
He explains that freight carriers at origin, on the mainland, are overstretched. This is not only because of shipments to the Balearics but also abroad. In addition, there are not enough trailers to meet demand for goods, although these are being rented - on an exceptional basis - in order to deal with the demand.
Horrach says that despite there being three shipping companies that serve the islands, Mallorca does not have a transport logistics centre that can accommodate a high volume of goods and which would speed up distribution. This is something which has been demanded for years.
For last-mile delivery, the final leg of the supply chain, there is currently a serious problem because of a lack of delivery and forklift truck drivers as well as trucks, both new and repaired. In most cases, it takes between three to four months for new goods transport vehicles to be available at dealerships. For repairs, there is a shortage of spare parts which can mean that trucks are out of action for two to three weeks.