The gas tanker truck owners in Tamil Nadu and other southern states have been on an indefinite strike since October 9, 2025, demanding the fulfillment of their various requests related to work permits and contract terms.
The strike is now in its fifth day, significantly affecting LPG gas transportation.
The Southern Region LPG Tanker Truck Owners Association, headquartered in Namakkal and representing about 5,500 tanker truck owners from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry, has halted their operations.
The protest was triggered by new rental agreement terms issued by oil companies for the 2025-2030 period, which imposed restrictions including limiting trucks eligible for contracts to 3,879, leaving over 700 trucks without work permits.Due to the strike, gas tanker trucks are parked along roadsides and in workshops, causing severe disruption in the transportation of LPG from refineries to bottling plants.
This stoppage is resulting in an emerging cooking gas shortage across Tamil Nadu and neighboring southern states.The tanker owners demand that all eligible trucks, including those registered after 2016, be granted work permits.
They have called for immediate negotiations with oil companies and central authorities. Until these demands are met, the strike will continue, risking a widespread gas cylinder shortage in the region.This strike has put pressure on oil marketing companies to resolve the issue promptly to avoid inconveniencing consumers, especially during the busy festive season.