Truck Rental Trends Amidst Toll Hikes: A Mixed Freight Market

Truck rentals stayed stable in April, despite toll hikes. Increased goods and fruit movements gave the freight market a subtle boost. Notable changes include a 2.5% rise on the Delhi-Chennai-Delhi route and a 14% year-on-year increase on the Kolkata-Guwahati-Kolkata route.

In April, truck rentals largely remained unchanged despite a significant 5-10% increase in toll charges across multiple routes. An increase in goods transport combined with the summer fruit season provided a subtle uplift to the freight market, according to an industry report released on Tuesday.

While truck rentals on most significant trunk routes saw no change, the report highlighted a 2.5% rise on the Delhi-Chennai-Delhi corridor and a 1.6% decrease on the Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi route. On a year-on-year basis, the Kolkata-Guwahati-Kolkata route showed a robust 14% growth in rentals, and the Mumbai-Chennai-Mumbai corridor recorded an 8% increase.

The report also noted a 12% month-on-month boom in two-wheeler sales due to increased rural demand and better connectivity, whereas bus sales continued their upward trend with a 4% growth. Electric rickshaws with carts posted a dramatic 77% annual growth. However, lower-than-anticipated government infrastructure spending led to a 13% decrease in tractor sales.

(With inputs from agencies.)