Truck drivers, haulage business owners and women working in the sector have set up roadside sit-ins at motorway junctions across the province of Salerno to protest rising diesel costs and the cost of living.
The pickets reported in the Salerno area are at Eboli, Buccino, Campagna, Contursi Terme, Sicignano degli Alburni and Pontecagnano. Participants say the action is about the economic sustainability of haulage firms and drivers' livelihoods, and they are asking citizens, students and other workers to support the protest publicly.
The appeal quoted in the local report — "Ora non lasciateci soli, la lotta è anche vostra," or "Don't leave us alone now, this fight is yours too" — captures the central message: the protesters present high fuel and operating costs not only as a sectoral problem but as one that affects prices and services for everyone. Organizers announced that the sit-ins would continue until 30 October.
Disruption on Campania roads and at Naples port
The protest has caused slowdowns and traffic problems on motorway and ordinary roads in several parts of Campania.
The wider mobilization has also affected the link between the A1 and A30 motorways between Caserta and Salerno, and sit-ins have been reported at the commercial port of Naples. The available reporting does not establish whether every listed junction experienced a full closure or a picket with slowdowns; what is documented is disruption in multiple locations rather than a single blocked point.
Why diesel excise is at the center
The local protest is taking place against a national dispute over diesel excise duty.
Haulage associations grouped in Unatras have objected to proposals to align diesel excise with petrol excise, warning of strong unrest among firms over possible cost increases and penalties. Trade publication TrasportoEuropa reports that uncertainty over excise and a possible diesel increase led Unatras to seek clarification from the Government, without ruling out a general halt to services.
The associations are asking for institutional dialogue and clarification on measures affecting sector costs. The material reviewed does not clarify the final outcome of that institutional discussion or whether the requested measures were adopted.
What prolonged disruption could mean for supplies
A prolonged action could have knock-on effects on the distribution of food, fuel and medicines.
National coverage links the mobilization to distribution difficulties and possible delays in food and pharmaceutical supplies, alongside calls for relief on diesel costs. These are reported as risks or effects seen in some areas, not as a uniform situation across Campania.
What to know if you are travelling or shopping
If you are driving through the Salerno area, allow extra time around the junctions named above — Eboli, Buccino, Campagna, Contursi Terme, Sicignano degli Alburni and Pontecagnano — as well as the A1-A30 Caserta-Salerno connection. Slowdowns have been the consistent pattern reported, and conditions may change during the announced picket period.
If you are shopping for groceries, fuel or medicines, there is no evidence of a general shortage across Campania in the sources reviewed. The prudent expectation, based on the reporting, is localized delays if blockades continue, particularly for goods moved by road.
What remains unclear is how long the pickets effectively lasted beyond the announced end date, how intense the action was at each location, and how supply effects varied from place to place.
