Coimbatore: Members of the Tamil Nadu Sugarcane Lorry Owners’ Federation on Monday (January 12, 2026) submitted a petition to the Erode district administration, accusing private sugar mills in the district of forcing lorry drivers to carry sugarcane loads beyond the legally allowed limit, reports The Hindu.
The petition was submitted under the leadership of coordinators S. Yuvaraj, K. Moorthy, P. Ramasamy, P.C. Mani and C. Senthil. The lorry owners said sugar mills were insisting that six-wheeler lorries transport up to 20 tonnes of sugarcane, even though the permitted limit is 12 tonnes. They alleged that refusal to comply resulted in denial of transport work. According to them, this practice has led to frequent fines under the Motor Vehicles Act by the police and Transport Department, causing serious financial difficulties for both vehicle owners and drivers. They also said overloading had resulted in repeated vehicle breakdowns, tyre damage and a higher risk of road accidents.
The lorry owners further alleged that transport charges were being decided solely by sugar mills without any discussion. They said the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation Limited had fixed the minimum transport rate at ₹598 per tonne, but sugarcane lorry owners were being paid only ₹101 per tonne. They demanded that the rate be increased to ₹201 per tonne and stated that they were prepared to strictly follow all transport rules from February 1, 2026, if the revised rates were implemented.
They also complained that non-commercial tractors were being used to transport sugarcane, which they said was affecting their livelihood. Seeking the intervention of the district administration, the federation called for strict enforcement of load limits, fair fixation of transport charges and timely payment of dues. They warned that if their demands were not addressed, lorry owners would be left with no option but to stage protests and stop sugarcane transportation.
