Everyday Americans used to understand “infrastructure” spending in terms of rebuilding roads, bridges, airports, and rail, among others. But the recently passed $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act takes something of an expansive understanding of what constitutes “infrastructure.” Truckers who transport loads over some of America’s nightmarish roads and bridges may not see federally-borrowed tax dollars fixing all of them anytime soon. And a deep dive into the Infrastructure package spending proves insightful.
It’s important to understand that the recently passed spending package adds $550 billion to baseline thresholds trickled out over the next five years. On the surface, that would indicate an enormous amount of fixed roads and bridges. However, this go-around involves a spending spree on wide-reaching items.
For example, $39 billion is expected to go toward public transit despite the fact this mode of travel declined by upwards of 47 percent. A large portion of the taxpayer-borrowed money will involve replacing functional buses with new zero-emission models. In other words, that “infrastructure” is more about climate change policy than improving access to declining public transportation.
Truckers hoping that notorious rollover highways sections and overly narrow bridges will be updated may need to tamp down their expectations. More than $283 billion has reportedly been earmarked for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The DOT has been a reliable source of roads, bridges, rail, and airport updates in the past. But its slice of the pie doesn’t solely target boots-on-the-ground infrastructure.
Less than half ($110 billion) of DOT spending will reportedly be used to repair and improve the type of infrastructure truckers utilize. Of that, $40 billion goes bridges that have been steadily improving under current year-over-year spending thresholds. From 2012 to 2019, the number of bridges in poor condition dipped from 9.4 percent to 7.5 percent. The DOT also plans to replace a fully functional gasoline and diesel fleet with electric vehicles to the tune of $7 billion. Again, that is more about climate policy.
On the true infrastructure side of the coin, $7.5 billion is expected to go towards EV charging stations. But what may rub taxpaying truckers the wrong way is the government’s plan to spend more money ($65 billion) on providing internet access to tribal lands and low-income areas than fixing some of America’s most dangerous roads and bridges. After all, internet providers will then turn around and sell services in these areas for a profit.
Although much of the money will go to items traditionally not considered “infrastructure” proper, truckers do gain something of a win. Road and bridge repair budgets are expected to increase by as much as 38 percent.
“We all drive on them. A majority in the House realized this today and did what’s right for the country, not themselves. From farmers to truckers, the millions of hard-working people who make this country great won today,” American Trucking Associations president Chris Spear reportedly said.
Sources: ttnews.com, ccjdigital.com
If the President of the ATA says it’s a win you can damn sure bet it’s a loss for drivers. What a joke this bill is. 1.75 trillion abs only 7.5% is for actually building roads and bridges. Such a load of Bull.
Exactly my thoughts!
Stupid attitides like yours is the reason
Trump, Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush sr. Couldnt get a infrastructure bill passed. Its about the whole country, not just trucks and truckers. Also it over 10 years, so the yearly amount is less than a 10th of our defense budget every year.
Stupid attitude? So also in this bill is millions of dollars for a volunteer pilot program to figure out how to tax every vehicle on the road a milage tax for every mile turned. Keep I’m mind most states already have something that will work but they want to spend more so they have an excuse to double and triple tax.but it’s all about those bad attitudes right? When people can’t afford to drive anymore to get to work then what? How about making the government fix the infrastructure with a infrastructure bill,how about that.
Our community Evansville, IN., is making plans to use funds for sewer projects, one in a low lying neighborhood that see lots of run offs and another in a expansion neighborhood where developers or building new homes.. what this community needs is better leadership that can build better road. most roads around here that are used for industrial travel were built in the horse and buggy era.. and upgrades were made in the late 79’s early 80’s.. basically the corners at turns are trailer curb worthy. with our utilities on the rise almost bubbled what the average consumer was paying a year ago. you would think there would be more public insight in too what our community needs rather then the big money grab 🤔
I need spell correct, or an edit button.. geez 🙄
Indiana under Mike Pence’s leadership actually saw a decline in highway construction and safety. Pence was SO BAD…How bad was he? Pence was so bad Indiana sent him packing to Washington DC to become the WORST VP… EVER!
No truck parking additions! Hmmm… I thought we were damn important to the national supply chain! What a bloody joke! Term Limits and Fire Them All!
We have term limits…they are called elections.
I find it most aggravating as an owner/operator that all the money us truckers pay in taxes goes to nonsense like Ev. And replacing fleets with Ev.
When we have to replace our tires and other things because of these roads…
HighwayUse Tax, IFTA, etc.., I can go on an on… our roads are crap. This administration is over and over again… a freaking nightmare. I got rid of my small fleet the second I found out that idiot stole the election because I knew what he would do to our industry. And it’s only just started.
tRUMP COULDN’T GET IT DONE BUT JOE DID.
A hostile congress had nothing to do with that, did it. Typical Dem.
As opposed to the hostile administration of Trump and the stone wall congress during Obama. The system is very good at throwing blame and doing nothing.
It’s every administrative
“second I found out that idiot stole the election”
That’s all we need to know about you. How does the traitor taste Shelley?
If you went to the bank and borrowed the money to buy a house but went and bought a boat instead you would be in deep trouble and locked up.
Keep in mind that road/highway regulations probably won’t change anytime soon. Therefore, it’s USDOT /;FMCSA /;Federal Highways to get off their tush and grab what’s coming.
The current “Supply Chain” fiasco isn’t about “truckers nor highways” …..it’s about “Central Planning”. U.S. Ports and Port Authority didn’t do the right infrastructure planning yrs ago.
We need junk yard dogs at the DOT.
LET’S GO BRANDON!!!!!!
FJB!!!!!
TRUMP WON!!!!!!!
It must really suck not to have two brain cells to rub together.
This damn liberals taking us for stupid😂😂
This damn liberals taking us for stupid. 😂😂
you cant drain the swamp.
brandon can only fill it in.
with your tax money.
now it will continue to become a junkyard.
B.B.B. realy means Brandon Bullsht Boys.
no difference between sides of the paper usd coin..no value here or there.
its just paper with the governments guns backing it.
( no – santa…. you cant have henry any more )
ATA
Anti
Trucking
Association
How about putting truckers under the fair labor standards act so we can get a reasonable wage and paid for all our time. You’d think they could sneak that in this bill say, on page 7064. Not that anybody is gonna wade that far into it!
This is exactly why we need more truck drivers in Congress
No bridge repairs means more bridge collapses plus having to go to lawless democrap cities where you very well may be assaulted and killed.
No wonder no one wants to drive OTR anymore.
$1.2 trillion. That’s a lot of scratch for the NWO to pilfer from. Follow the money,if you can. I wonder how much of that pot is going to be invested outside USA. “Autonomous” is a word not mentioned much,anymore,isn’t it? Overzealous expectations on behalf of those supporting that pipe dream. Unaccountable resources over a few years invested compliments public funds.
NWO not finished with this fairytail,yet. They just can’t have it plastered all over media because of the dismal failure of it.I believe there will be more $$$ invested in this from that $1.2 trillion than in actual infrastructure upgrades. An enormous amount of that $$$ will end up at,for instance,a university here where i live in Canada that has been doled out $billions to participate in the ‘autonomous’ agenda. Most of that $$$ is not from corporations but from public funds. Canada doesn’t have the $$$ funds that equate what this university has racked in. USA tax payers is where most of it comes,i’m sure.