The government is attempting to defuse the crisis gripping the road transport sector, suffocated by soaring fuel prices linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has just announced a three-month extension of a financial support mechanism. To quell the anger of industry professionals, the authorities are promising to revise the plan this time by doubling the maximum amount of aid, from €300 to €600, and by removing the eligibility criteria that had previously stalled applications. This necessary overhaul strongly resembles an admission of failure by the executive branch in the face of the administrative incompetence of previous rounds of aid.
On the ground, professional federations like OTRE are no longer hiding their exasperation with what they call a mere publicity stunt. Contrary to a widely held misconception, this scheme is absolutely not a direct 20-cent reduction at the pump. It is a flat-rate subsidy calculated per vehicle, the disbursement of which depends on a lengthy and bureaucratic obstacle course. Although the decree governing the first phase of support was signed in mid-April 2026, the platform of the Agency for Services and Payments only opened in mid-May. The concrete result for businesses: the first payments are not expected before June, leaving the most vulnerable companies to manage a sudden depletion of their cash flow on their own.
Beyond the payment delays, it is the blatant injustice of the initial eligibility criteria that is fueling the outrage of industry leaders. The rules set by the ministries have simply excluded almost the entire transport sector. Nearly 80% of small and medium-sized enterprises have been denied access to grants exceeding €5,000 due to revenue loss caps completely disconnected from market realities. The unions reiterate that the urgent need is no longer for deliberation but for a complete overhaul of the eligibility criteria; otherwise, bankruptcies will multiply in the coming months.
This administrative paralysis is occurring within a macroeconomic climate that is detrimental to French road logistics. While the law theoretically mandates indexation mechanisms to pass on rising diesel prices to shippers, the reality of the commercial balance of power prevents most carriers from applying these increases to their customers. Faced with shippers who refuse to pay more, carriers are squeezing their already historically low margins. The constant increase in operating costs, combined with the lack of real government support, directly threatens the competitiveness and survival of the national logistics chain.