the phenomenon of heavy goods vehicle cemeteries worries

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Dozens of trucks are left abandoned, nearly 60 carcasses scattered over a few hundred meters. The cabins are gutted, the engines boned. On the ground there are remains of tires, oil and gasoline leaks. These wrecks pile up illegally in an industrial zone in the Paris region, to the point of causing traffic problems, according to a driver who works nearby. “We have trucks that never move, it makes parking difficult. We can’t find any space”he assures.

The site is located a few meters from the gigantic Rungis market where thousands of heavy goods vehicles pass through every day. According to another driver, some companies have adopted bad habits for several years: “When a truck breaks down, they abandon it. It’s like a truck scrapyard.” A scrapyard that arouses desire. Some come to collect parts.

Most of the trucks are registered in France, with French company logos on certain trailers. The France Télévisions teams managed to contact one of the carriers by telephone. He claims that his heavyweight no longer belongs to him. So why do heavyweights pile up? For the carrier unions, this is a move to save money. “Very often, these companies do not have insurance. It costs them less to abandon them than to have them repaired, since a truck to be repaired quickly costs 20,000, 30,000 euros, or even more,” explains Stanislas Baugé, federal secretary FNTL FO UNCP.

In recent months, the phenomenon has accelerated, also posing problems for the environment. The company managing a private industrial zone says it is helpless and is appealing to the authorities given the scale of this practice. “The removal of a vehicle of which you do not own, only the police are authorized to give you authorization. In fact, the processing time for this type of request, one can imagine, is relatively random and it can take a lot of time”indicates Jonathan Sebbane, general manager of Sogaris.

According to carrier unions, this practicethat illegal is developing in several industrial zones elsewhere in France.