Ukraine’s transport industry, under martial law, staff shortages, border blockades and the rapid adaptation of legislation to EU standards, needs stronger professional representation of carriers’ interests, the development of legal support and the preservation of the institutional capacity of the Association of International Road Carriers of Ukraine (AsMAP). This was stated by the participants of a press conference dedicated to the 35th anniversary of AsMAP Ukraine.
“Despite everything that is happening in our country, the TIR system is operating steadily. We are in fifth place among the associations that work in the guarantee chain system. If last year the guarantee fund amounted to UAH 170 million, today it is UAH 200 million,” said Vice President of AsMAP Ukraine Volodymyr Balin at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Tuesday.
According to him, the IRU requirements for the guarantee fund amount to $3,000 per participant, while some carriers expect a level of $8,000. Balin emphasized that the association is working on financial stability and defending the interests of carriers in matters of employee reservation, interaction with Territorial Recruitment Centers, border crossing by drivers, preventing unlawful disconnection from the “Shliakh” system and preventing decisions that may harm business.
“AsMAP must be the main representative of Ukrainian international road carriers in Ukraine, in the EU and in other international organizations. The protection of every carrier must be a priority — regardless of the size of the company,” the vice president of AsMAP emphasized.
He also reported that he had submitted an application to participate in the competition for the position of president of AsMAP Ukraine.
“I have the experience, knowledge and motivation to effectively perform the duties of president of AsMAP Ukraine. My goal is to strengthen the association, which has influence, enjoys trust and effectively protects every carrier,” Balin stated.
For his part, Oleksandr Dereza, director of Transtempo LLC, which has been operating in the international passenger transportation market for about 25 years, emphasized the importance of practical support for carriers from a professional association.
“There are issues that were not resolved for years and that virtually no one dealt with in the regulatory process. Today AsMAP is probably that ‘lifesaver’ for carriers that represents our interests. New regulatory requirements related to Ukraine’s approximation to European procedures often create difficulties for business due to insufficient preparation of mechanisms for their practical application. In such situations, carriers need a structure that can promptly help and convey the position of business to the authorities,” Dereza noted.
The head of the separate subdivision of the NGO Ukrainian Transport Union in Kyiv region, Oleh Sotnikov, stated that the industry is operating under conditions of rapid legislative reform and therefore needs specialists capable of formulating a consolidated business position and preparing alternative proposals to draft laws and government decisions.
“Ukraine is rapidly adapting its legislation to the legislation of the European Union. The state is transforming legislation, and the transport industry must have people who are able to explain, write alternative draft laws and resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers,” Sotnikov emphasized.
According to him, in the current flow of changes it is important to work with the relevant ministry and the parliamentary committee already at the stage of preparing documents.
“Volodymyr Balin is a person who in fact accumulates the wishes of the industry and presents the consolidated position of carriers both in the relevant ministry and in the Verkhovna Rada committee on transport issues in order to improve the work of the industry,” Sotnikov noted.
Deputy Director for Operations of Trans-Logistic LLC Serhii Kuzmenko reported that his company has a fleet of more than 220 vehicles, operates in international traffic and within Ukraine, and about half of its vehicles transport temperature-controlled cargo. According to the carrier, the industry is going through difficult times because of the war, border blockades, staff shortages and economic instability.
“AsMAP has always been and remains a support for carriers. But today’s challenges force all of us to move to a new level of high-quality, constant and systematic work,” Kuzmenko added.
Among the key problems, he named new requirements regarding drivers’ working and rest time regimes, which, in his opinion, may create risks during the transportation of expensive temperature-controlled cargo.
“From June 26, requirements regarding the driver’s working and rest time regime come into force. Let us imagine a situation: a driver is carrying medicines worth UAH 120–150 million and has no right to spend the night in the cabin. He leaves the vehicle with the cargo and goes to a hotel, but in Ukraine there is in fact not enough infrastructure where such transport can be safely left,” Kuzmenko noted.
He also drew attention to the need for parity conditions for Ukrainian carriers in the international arena and protection from disproportionate fines. According to him, since the beginning of the year the company has paid about $12,000 in fines, some of which were related to technical GPS failures or minor errors in documents.
“The GPS signal did not work, or the dispatcher made a spelling mistake — and for each such case we received a $3,000 fine. These are very significant penalties for things that, in my opinion, are minor,” the representative of Trans-Logistic emphasized.
Kuzmenko called for the creation of a system of round-the-clock international legal support for carriers, and among other problems he named the digitalization of AsMAP, promotion of the driver profession, participation in training programs for women drivers, control over the possible introduction of toll roads, standards for parking areas and services for drivers, revision of restrictions on the movement of freight transport through Kyiv and employee reservation.
The moderator of the press conference, political consultant and chairman of the board of the Institute of Ukrainian Politics Oleksii Usachov, emphasized that Ukrainian carriers had historically been an important part of European trade and logistics routes, and during the full-scale war had proved their critical role for the state, the army and society. According to him, logistics became one of the key factors of Ukraine’s resilience during the evacuation of people, the provision of military logistics and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“After the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian carriers showed their efficiency and heroism during the evacuation of people, the provision of military logistics and the delivery of humanitarian aid. This saved thousands and tens of thousands of lives,” Usachov stated.
He emphasized that AsMAP is needed not only by carriers, but also by the state as an institution that represents Ukrainian business in the international arena and ensures dialogue between the industry and the authorities. At the same time, Usachov stated that there were risks of weakening the association and called on the relevant ministry and law enforcement agencies to monitor the situation around preparations for the election of the organization’s leadership.
“I appeal to the leadership of the relevant ministry and to law enforcement officers to keep the situation under control and not allow manipulations, machinations and falsifications during the process of electing the new leadership of AsMAP,” Usachov emphasized.
Summing up the meeting, Volodymyr Balin expressed hope that international carriers, during the vote, would make a choice in favor of developing an association that would work “for each carrier without exception,” and not for a separate group of individuals.
INTERNATIONAL CARRIERS, LEGAL PROTECTION, OLEH SOTNIKOV, OLEKSII USACHOV, SERHII KUZMENKO, TRANSPORT INDUSTRY, ВОЛОДИМИР БАЛІН, ОЛЕКСАНДР ДЕРЕЗА
