Food shortage expected with truck strike

SUPERMARKETS across Queensland are expected to run low on food tomorrow as angry truck drivers stand firm on their two-week strike.

Retailers, fearing the worst yesterday, started to stockpile fruit, vegetables and meat as thousands of truckies joined blockades to protest against low pay rates, new fatigue regulations and soaring fuel prices.

In Brisbane, 300 truckies backed a "go slow" through the CBD as supporters cheered them on.

National Retail Association executive director Gary Black said shops were prepared.

"Supermarkets will experience substantial depletion in stock within a couple of days," he said yesterday.

"This will mean that a range of alternative suppliers will need to be secured. At the moment, we don't think the strike action will generate sufficient momentum to have a long-term impact on supply."

However truckies said they were prepared to stick it out for the full two weeks if the Government did not act.

The strike does not have union backing, and is being pushed by two Queensland groups - the Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association and the National Road Transport Forum.

NRTF spokesman Mick Pattell said the impact on grocery supplies could be huge.

Yesterday morning, 50 trucks blaring their horns entered the Brisbane CBD at Edward St, circled the Prime Minister's office at Waterfront Place and then headed up towards QUT Gardens Point, past the Botanical Gardens on Alice St.

The convoy continued back towards the city along William St, turned down Elizabeth St and back to Edward St.

The loop was repeated, motorists were forced to divert, traffic backed up on Williams St and the police were out in force