The transport strike, which kicked off yesterday, is expected to hit full force today when 28000 members of the SA Allied Transport Workers Union abandon their trucks.
The union spokesman Vincent Masoga said truck drivers would gather across the country.
"The strike is officially on ... we will meet in the streets.
"We are demanding a 9% wage increase. The employers - the Road Freight Employers Association - made a similar offer over the weekend, meaning the strike could be averted."
The union is expected to report back to the association this afternoon on whether they accept the offer or not.
"If the strike continues, fuel and other commodities from ships that need to be delivered inland may not be available," Masoga said.
Adcorp labour economist Loane Sharpe said that even if the strike was called off a day after it had started, industrial action would escalate across the country following the Lonmin settlement of a 22% pay hike.
He said the Lonmin settlement had set off resentment among employees and he expected to see strikes in the public service and the manufacturing industry, which were heavily unionised.
"The World Economic Forum report released recently ranked South Africa as the absolute worst in terms of labour- employer conflict out of 144 countries.
"Our labour relations system produces conflict. It does so because the powers between business, union and government are not equally balanced.
"Trade unions and the government tend to gang up against business and the fundamental tactic is the strike."
The association's Magretia Brown-Englebrecht was unavailable for comment.
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