Connecticut’s governor seems to have backed off the idea of truck-only tolls for now. But in the new transportation plan he’s proposing, higher rates for trucks – especially out-of-state trucks – aren’t just a reality, they’re being used as a selling point.
Part of Governor Ned Lamont’s platform when running for governor was a truck-only toll that would help fund an infrastructure overhaul for the state. But a truck-only toll is legally dubious at best as Rhode Island’s lawsuits are proving, and the lawmakers he needs to push the legislation through don’t want to vote for an increase in taxes for their constituents so close to an election.
So Gov. Lamont’s new plan seems to be to get around calling it a ‘truck-only toll’ by collecting tolls from passenger vehicles as well, while keep commuters (and therefore voters) happy by making sure that the lion’s share of the tolls are paid by out-of-state drivers and truckers.
According to the CT2030 website, the plan would be to charge “user fees” that start at $.50 cents for cars and between $3.50 and $7.000 for trucks. Or as the proposal puts it, “the heavy tractor-trailer trucks that significantly wear and tear our bridges will pay seven times more than the base car rate.”
Additionally, the proposal assures CT voters that a large portion of the tolls collected will be paid by out-of-state drivers.
“Roughly 40% of those user fees [tolls] will be paid by out-of-state drivers, and still more will come from the heavy trucks that do the most damage to our roads,” said Gov. Lamont.
Lamont is hoping that if legislation is passed soon, construction of toll gantries would soon follow, and tolls would start being collected by 2023.
While no specific amount has been set yet on how much Lamont expects to raise in tolls, they are meant to fund $21 billion in spending on infrastructure improvements with the help of federal funding and loans.
Source: middltownpresss, patch, ct2030, ct2030
Runner says
Ct sucks
Chuck says
Lol. Glad we dont generally run CT.
Trucker's Wife says
Hopefully the trucking companies will have the good sense to start charging more to go to states like these so that the consumers pay in the end. It shouldn’t be coming out of the trucker’s pocket by way of slow and or low wage raises or lower starting wages.
John says
Massachusetts should sue if they charge too much for trucks crossing CT.
AJ says
sure they’ll raise 21 billion in tolls but the new toll collection gantries will cost 41 billion the way the government spends. They will need a new toll enforcement division with multiple high salaried cronies and all the rest of the leaches that will vie for the new departmental positions..
Rufus says
The interstate highway system was created for the military and commerical use. Every state by federal mandate is supposed to designate 12% annual budget to it’s upkeep and maintenance. also by federal mandate automobiles are not to be on the interstate unless traveling a distance greater than 50 miles.
Sean says
You are correct. After all the interstate as proposed by IKE in the 50s was the Defense Hiways Act. Not the everyone drive 2 miles to the mall act. That is why military convoys are exempt from state dot scales.
Frankly though trucking companies screwed themselves by trying to compete with railroads and in thinking that one driver was going to want to drive coast to coast. Dumb idea. And they wonder why they can’t keep drivers? Duh.
Let’s see…3 to 4 weeks out and only 3 to 4 days off at home…Not. 3 to 4 weeks out and I better get 3 to 4 weeks off at home. Not 3 to 4 days. Sorry dumb trucking companies.
Been there done that. I don’t care what they pay anymore. Won’t do it anymore. It’s not worth the headache.
JohnT says
People are supposed to use their headlights in the rain also…Illegal entries to this country shouldn’t have the ability to get a job…and on and on it goes…Freedom is what allows our society to break whatever rules it wants so long as it doesn’t get caught…
Mike says
And watch the prices of retail products go up.
Jacob Chipman says
Used to live in CT, and you guys are not far off. Toll gantries will cost an insane amount of money, will go over time and budget, cause massive traffic problems on top of the problems they already have and will probably mean even more people avoid CT because it taxes bloody everything and costs an arm and a leg to do any kind of business there
Sean Lyman says
The best part is, 30% of total revenue collected goes to the cost of collecting it. You can’t make this stuff up
Durtyda says
Solution #1. Do as I and others have
Done. Do not go to those areas with
Freight and make the reason well
Known!!
James N Spencer says
I believe the interstate commerce clause of the constitution prohibits the charging of higher fees for out of state trucks. This is almost certainly going to the courts if implemented.
Dominic says
And which law school did you graduate?
Snow says
How about reducing the GVWR to a lot less than 80,000 lbs per truck?
What sense does it make to spend 21 billllllion if these “heavy trucks” are going to continue to cause damage anyway?
Karl says
It’s our fault (the truck drivers) we just keep on driving there, they will just offset the added cost by lowering driver pay, HOW?
1. You don’t have enough current exp.
2.Being fired the only way a truck company can, no miles, oh and don’t try to collect unemployment.
3. Failed UA, some where in your history.
4. DAC report, PSP report, any type of ticket, anything like that.
5. Only industry on Planet Earth, no pay for up to four hours a day, wait time at shipper, and wait time at consignee. Try that in the real world.
6. Only industry on Planet Earth, including China, work week is based on SEVENTY HOURS, hello…
I can go on but you drivers will in your pee (our) pee brains justify what happens to us.
Sean says
There is nothing in the constitution stating trucks.
There is stuff related to interstate commerce but not trucks per se’.
Me says
The haul rates out of CT and the rest of the New England states, keeps me from delivering there anyway. If the trucks going there now were to boycott CT over these tolls, were will their electorate buy their goods? I can’t believe they don’t know the voters will eventually pay the trucks tolls anyway. I guess it won’t be bad, as long as it’s not called a tax.
David says
One more reason to left this pcsh job and stay every night at home with my family.this is my last month thanks god.god bless all you guys had to keep doing this sh…
ziff says
Sounds like another surcharge to add to freight bills plus admin fee.
Yaniha T. says
That’s specifically why I’m never going there, not even for $4 a mile. Believe me, I’ve seen these rates. Still not going. Truckers unite! Let’s teach them a lesson.
Andrew H says
Let’s see…
1. Charge out of state truck $7 for the toll.
2. Driver asks for rate increase or reimbursement.
3. Driver/company covers toll, but adds surcharge to the freight bill.
4. Consignee pays surcharge.
5. Consignee increases selling price of their product to cover toll surcharge to maintain necessary operational profits.
6. Consumer pays higher price for product, that was increased because the trucker needed to pay an extra toll.
The real losers in all this, is the general public.
Sean says
I agree. The problem is that said consumer for given area(certain state or city) never wants to pay for the roads that he/she drives on all the time. And yet that same idiot complains if his or her roads are not maintained..welcome to the result of Reagan’s Tax cuts.
Mark Gillespie says
Cool I think it’s great, then there people can go to NY or another state to buy groceries or anything and all malls and stores can close.
Max MacDuffy says
There continues to be an assault on commercial vehicles in the way of fees, tolls and other charges. Of course this is simply a pass thru tax wherein the public pays these monies, plus collection and distribution costs thru higher prices on goods.
But the problem remains in explaining to a company in Boston why their rates have increased for that product shipped from Atlanta, and getting them to pay.
In the 70’s we had quickly escalating fuel costs with the Oil boycott and this squeezed everyone. Over the years a standardized fuel surcharge was developed and is in excess of the rate quoted by a carrier. It appears as a line item costs on invoices from the carrier to the user.
I think it’s time we do the same thing for loads passing thru these fee zones. This needs to be implemented by the government, but collected by the carrier for the carrier. Only routes thru these zones would be affected, however all interstate transport will be subject to these charges.
We are seeing constant increases in tolls that are crippling to the industry. Tolls such as on the Penn turnpike, NY turnpike and many more.
Zidri says
All about money,why not only trucks highway free of charge..o right. Money
UB says
At least they don’t want to charge you by the hour for road use, it takes less time to drive across PA.
Mike says
If truckers weren’t scared of losing their jobs we could stand together for one week and fix this problem. Think about this these companies can’t afford to fire all of us. They would have to hire us back and that costs them more money. All drivers need to get it together for one week and we can fix it. Cause let’s face it our government can’t. Look at their records. We need to quit sending career politicians to Washington first. But don’t listen to me I’m just an o/o independent trucker. I’ve been driving for over 30 years and it will only continue to get worse if we don’t do something about it. Like I said look at their records. Bushmaster
Grim Reaper says
Always follow the money! I guess the ole governor was blindly following his neighbor up passed Mass, Rhode ripoff Island.
Glad over & over to be retired
Mark Stout says
These people don’t realize that the cost just gets passed on to the consumer and they’re going to pay more for their stuff
Rick says
Just boycott going to CT. When they can’t get their goods and services maybe they will wake up
Jacob the trucker says
Government has to make it a law. That way we have to comply. The U.S is looking more and more like a dictatorship. Government never gets enough. Stop using our tax money to take trips, buy 10,000 dollar curtains, and other shit. The new laws can eat dick and choke.
Charles Caul says
Every state that goes after trucking companies and driver need to start losing Federal tax dollars. We already pay for the roads in every state thru IFTA and fuel taxes. If every refused to deliver to theses states their commodities would start to cost them double and triple the regular rate. Then what will their voters think since it’s getting close to elections. I’ve been in this industry for over 35 years and it will never happen. Big companies will always pay and the driver always suffer by getting low wages. I’m at the point I will not drive for a company for less than .60 a mile. The driver hold the CDL which you control your own destiny. I will never drive the north east. It not worth the headache.
Peter D. Ohmart says
Well, Gov. Lamont is a complete idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In case other people who are not affiliated with costs that truckers incur, they pay highway use taxes, they pay at the fuel pump, they pay for every mile they drive in any state they operate their truck/s, and before they can even register any truck, they have to pay $550.00 to the federal government. If they do not pay that, they cannot register that vehicle.
The idiot who pretends to play governor needs to learn that tolling is not a bad idea, but not at the cost of excluding trucks from CT. I would not send my trucks into CT for that reason. I would and have sent them around that state and will continue to do so. Another reason I will not send them down there is that they will not sell overweight permits on a yearly basis. All the surrounding states have sales for permitting sales for overweight, so why do you not? I have driven my trucks in the states that permit overweight permits because like the state issues them, we both make money.
Another way your state could make money is to remove the 3rd and 4th lane violations on highways and interstates for trucks. By allowing trucks to travel in all of the lanes, so long as they can keep their speed at the speed limit, this will slow down the speed of the traffic, which will reduce the number of crashes, and if there are any lawsuits against the state, maybe they will reduce them as well.
Those are ways of making money for the state, but not at the expense of a few.
I think you need to go back to the drawing board and think long and hard of what you are doing. There are so many ways you can make money.