Truck Drivers Stranded for Days in Quagmire Amid Peak Grain Harvest at Port of Miritituba

Access to the Miritituba Port, Pará state, remains difficult, with a line of trucks still stranded on-site after rains caused potholes and mudslides, as reported by truck drivers on social media.

The same location had already seen similar mudslides and truck queues in 2021.

Congestion in the Miritituba region occurs along an unpaved stretch of approximately 7 kilometers of the BR-230 highway, also known as the Trans-Amazonian Highway, which connects BR-163 to the Tapajós Cargo Transshipment Station (ETC).

The nearly 7-kilometer stretch is making life difficult for truckers, stuck on the highway waiting two to three days for a chance to unload cargo.

Thousands of trailers and trucks filled with cargo bound for the international market are waiting in a massive queue to enter the Miritituba port in Itaituba, Pará.

Truck drivers describe the dangerous and stressful situations they face. “It’s stressful, especially when you get stuck on the road and find yourself surrounded by criminals. Criminals are everywhere. You can’t really stop anywhere. You’re already worried, spending the whole day stuck, and when it’s time to rest at night, you can’t because the criminals are nearby,” says one truck driver.

The Miritituba Port receives grains harvested in the southwestern region of Pará and northern Mato Grosso, which are at the peak of the season, destined for the international market. Drivers report being stranded for days without moving.

The queue delays cause losses both for truck drivers, stranded for days without earning, and vehicle owners, who have to bear additional costs.

“This wait isn’t good for when you’re stuck, neither you nor the truck owner makes an earning. It just means spending more. Two, three days here stuck when you could be on another trip,” says 48-year-old truck driver Reinaldo Torres.

Source: Folha do Progresso 

Click here to read the original article: https://www.folhadoprogresso.com.br/no-pico-da-safra-de-graos-caminhoneiros-esperam-em-atoleiro-ate-tres-dias-para-entrar-no-porto-de-miritituba-no-paravideo/

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