Truck Drivers, the Time Hunters

AGUIDO ADRI & DHANANG DAVID ARITONANG

· 5 minutes read

It is not an easy matter to transport food to the capital city. Distribution requires strategy, sacrifices and betting against time.

To hunt for time in order to reach their destination as soon as possible, a number of drivers transporting foodstuffs must prepare “lubricants” to pay illegal fees to officers in the field.

Alimi, 45, a truck driver from Brebes, Central Java, was relieved. Finally his freight was unloaded in the pouring rain at Kramatjati Central Market, Jakarta, early on Friday (26/4/2019) morning. The trip from Brebes to Jakarta was fairly smooth, taking about seven hours.

"I was trapped in a heavy traffic jam for three hours from West Karawang Toll to the Cikunir gate [East Jakarta]," Alimi said.

Even though he was relieved, something was stuck in his mind. "From the old days until now, extortion still occurs. The officers ask for money from the drivers, even though their salaries are much bigger. Do they think we have a lot of money?" he said with a smile.

Alimi is annoyed by the practice. Every time he leaves for Jakarta, he has to prepare Rp 20,000-Rp 50,000 for illegal levies on the road. This money does not include the parking fee at Kramatjati Market, which is Rp 10,000 to Rp 12,000 per parking lot.

It is still difficult for Alimi to accept this extortion. "However, in order not to face any problems, I give money to the officers. The goods must arrive on time. If they come late, they can be of poor quality," he said.

Facing traffic jams

Ayi, 30, a vegetable transport driver from Garut, West Java, has a different story. In addition to facing extortion, he must fight through traffic jams. One day, he departed from Garut, West Java, at 4:00 p.m. and arrived at Kramatjati at midnight. One hour later the goods he transported were unloaded.

The unloading activities were stopped several times due to heavy rain. Ayi could only walk around while staring at the sky. "Earlier on the West Bekasi Toll Road the traffic congestion was severe. So I arrived late. The vegetables need to be unloaded immediately. It is already very late," he said, looking at a watch that showed it was 2:15 a.m.

Racing against time to arrive in Jakarta as soon as possible is a challenge Ayi faces every day. The goal is to keep the vegetables he transports fresh and not damaged. However, factors such as traffic jams often prevent Ayi from arriving on time at Kramatjati.

Regarding extortion, Ayi has been annoyed for a long time. A few days earlier, he had time to record the actions of the officers on the road who asked for Rp 50,000. "The money is not enough, there is still

scolding as well," he said while showing video footage from his cellphone when he was stopped by the officers in Cikunir.

"I did carry a 4-ton load to avoid production losses and meet customer demand," said the thin man.

He explained if he carried goods weighing 2 tons, in accordance with the carrying capacity of the truck, its cost was Rp 1 million. Up to Rp 200,000 of the cost was for workers to pick up the cargo. When he arrived at Kramatjati Central Market, he had to spend another Rp 350,000 for parking, unloading services, and food and drink.

"With the cost of fuel at Rp 500,000, toll fees of Rp 200,000, plus an illegal fee of Rp 50,000, I get nothing, I even lose Rp 250,000 to Rp 300,000," Ayi said. Therefore, he decided to carry a 4 ton load with a production cost of Rp 2 million even though he faced a bigger risk of extortion and safety threats.

"The extortion of Rp 50,000 may look small. However, how much money do the officers collect from the illegal payments? For us, Rp 50,000 is very large."

Traveling to the market

The foodstuffs that arrive in Kramatjati are then distributed to markets in Jakarta. This is what Wawan, 35, a fruit truck driver, does. It is his job to transport fruit to Palmerah Market, Kebayoran Lama Market and Matraman Market.

Approaching Ramadan is a busy time for Wawan. Demand for fruits and vegetables from the markets usually surges. Last Ramadhan, Wawan transported fruit from Kramatjati market up to five times a day. On normal days, he goes to the market only three times.

"During Ramadan many new traders appear. The goods I carry are more varied. I transport kolang-kaling (palm fruit), suri (cucumber), and blewah," said the man from Semarang.

In line with increasing demand, Wawan\'s wages also increase. For one-way transport to Palmerah Market, he is paid Rp 350,000 to Rp 400,000. His monthly income can be Rp 10 million to Rp 15 million.

The surge in demand for food distribution ahead of Ramadan and Lebaran (the end of Ramadan) has to be prepared for in advance. The purpose is to anticipate the limitation on the number of trucks allowed to enter toll roads from May 31 to June 2.

Deputy chairman of the Central Board of Indonesian Truck Entrepreneurs Association Kyatmaja Lookman said that food supplies for Ramadan and Lebaran began to be distributed to Jakarta three months ago. "Long-lasting food materials, such as rice, were distributed three months ago," he said.

Meanwhile, for perishable foodstuffs such as vegetables, their distribution will peak in May to meet the needs during the fasting month.

This time, the drivers again have to fight through obstacles on the roads to supply foodstuffs for the people of the capital city.

Editor:

kompascetak