Last night, 22/11/2015, Rede Globo's program Fantástico presented a report on the use of illegal stimulant substances, especially cocaine and amphetamine, by a considerable number of truck drivers in Brazil. Results of keratin tests, from hair samples of 100 drivers, collected at CEASA in Campo Grande and in Rondonópolis/MT, showed that 34% of drivers had used drugs in the 90 days prior to the test.
Despite being alarming, and confirming a problematic situation known to logistics professionals in Brazil, it is necessary to make some considerations for a full understanding of the situation exposed by Fantástico. I emphasize the importance of dealing with the issue and I do not intend to disqualify the report, but I believe that the problem is too complex for hasty and simplified conclusions and I only intend to contribute with some information.
Firstly, despite the undoubted relevance of the topic, it is impossible not to criticize the sampling used in the research. Testing just 100 drivers in locations such as Campo Grande and Rondonópolis does not allow extrapolation of the results to the whole of Brazil, as the report suggests. Rondonópolis is an important city on the route for transporting the grain harvest and CEASA is a commercial warehouse for agricultural products and, in both cases, the movement of products is done mainly by self-employed drivers.
The report associated the perishability of agricultural products with enormous pressure on delivery deadlines, which would force drivers to use illegal stimulants to stay awake and drive for long hours. Although it is not untrue, it is necessary to consider that the Law 13.103 / 2015 (replacing Law 12.619/2012), known as the New Law of Drivers, which regulates the forms of remuneration and the working hours of drivers, greatly eased this pressure, especially for drivers hired and added by companies, since the inspection of its fulfillment does not depend on the action of public agents, once it is not respected, the driver himself can sue the company in the Labor Court.
However, the law has little practical effect on the journey of the self-employed driver, who is the majority in the region and in the type of load used in the sample, as he “freely” determines his working hours. Here, yes, the indirect responsibility of logistics managers comes into play. The pressure exacerbated by the reduction of freight values can, in the last analysis, stimulate this type of practice, insofar as it obliges the driver to go above the recommended speed and drive for long journeys in order to release the load as quickly as possible and stay available for the next charter.
Obviously, the low value of freight is the result of excess supply in the market, a result of government failure to regulate and supervise such an important activity, since 4 million heavy vehicles circulate daily on the country's roads, according to the DENATRAN. Add to this, the enormous cost pressure for companies that the government adds with the return of CIDE and the increase in diesel at a time of economic crisis and reduced demand.
The report also suggests that the large number of road accidents (according to data from the PRF, there were 8.227 records of accidents with death in 2014) is a result of the use of these substances. Despite being an additional ingredient to consolidate Brazil as one of the countries with the highest number of deaths on the roads, we cannot disregard that before the cause, the use of stimulant drugs is a consequence, as well as excessive speed and tiredness behind the wheel.
Thus, we are all responsible for the situation: drivers, executives and government! It is useless for a company to say that it is socially responsible and hire drivers to carry out its deliveries and consider it “normal” when he covers a route of 1.500 km in 24 hours, as presented by the report. There is no point in the government blaming the greed of companies if it is unable to offer adequate roads, signposted and with safe stops for drivers. Or is it “normal” for drug dealers to appear at every stop on the road, as shown in the report?
We cannot, nor should we, ignore this alarming situation, as if it were something “normal”!
To watch the Fantástico report in its entirety, access the following link:
http://globoplay.globo.com/v/4626758/
References
<http://globoplay.globo.com/v/4626758/>
<http://www.denatran.gov.br/frota2015.htm>
<http://www.normaslegais.com.br/legislacao/Lei-13103-2015.htm>
<https://www.prf.gov.br/portal/>
<http://exame.abril.com.br/revista-exame/edicoes/1102/noticias/o-pior-caminho>
Leonardo Julianelli
https://ilos.com.brExecutive Partner of ILOS. Graduated in Production Engineering from EE/UFRJ, Master in Business Administration from COPPEAD/UFRJ with extension at EM Lyon, France, and PhD in Production Engineering from COPPE/UFRJ. He has several articles published in periodicals and specialized magazines, being one of the authors of the book: “Sales Forecast: Organizational Processes & Qualitative and Quantitative Methods”. His research areas are: Demand Planning, Customer Service in the Logistics Process and Operations Planning. He worked for 8 years at CEL-COPPEAD / UFRJ, helping to organize the Logistics Teaching area. In consultancy, he carried out several projects in the logistics area, such as Diagnosis and Master Plan, Sales Forecast, Inventory Management, Demand Planning and Training Plan in companies such as Abbott, Braskem, Nitriflex, Petrobras, Promon IP, Vale, Natura, Jequití, among others. As a professor, he taught classes at companies such as Coca-Cola, Souza Cruz, ThyssenKrupp, Votorantim, Carrefour, Petrobras, Vale, Via Varejo, Furukawa, Monsanto, Natura, Ambev, BR Distribuidora, ABM, International Paper, Pepsico, Boehringer, Metrô Rio , Novelis, Sony, GVT, SBF, Silimed, Bettanin, Caramuru, CSN, Libra, Schlumberger, Schneider, FCA, Boticário, Usiminas, Bayer, ESG, Kimberly Clark and Transpetro, among others.
