Rhode Island’s truck-only tolls aren’t even up and running yet, but they’re already inspiring other states to try it out for themselves. A bill has been introduced in the Virginia state senate that could bring truck-only tolls to I-81.
State Senators Mark Obenshain (R) and Bill Carrico (R) filed a bill last week that, if passed, would fund a study into the effects that a truck-only tolling program on I-81 would have.
The motive that Obenshain gives for trying out new truck-only tolls is safety, saying “I am confident this bill will help us identify solutions to a very real safety crisis.”
According to Obenshain, about 20% of crashes on I-81 involve heavy trucks. Not only does Obenshain not cite who was at fault in those crashes, but according to VDOT, trucks make up anywhere from 19%-40% of the total traffic on the road.
Almost half of all truck traffic in the state travels over I-81, so tolling even in only a few locations could have a dramatic impact on traffic, local business, congestion on secondary roads, and prices for consumer goods.
“We need to focus our efforts and money on improving I-81. It has been overlooked for too long, and Virginians in Southwest Virginia and the Valley deserve better,” said the bill’s other co-sponsor, Bill Carrico, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. “This bill is an innovative approach, and I look forward to seeing the results of this study.”
Obenshain specifically pointed to the controversial program in Rhode Island as inspiration for the bill. It’s not the only bill aimed at truckers that Obenshain has sponsored recently. He also filed a bill which would allow the VDOT to conduct a pilot program requiring tractor trailers to only travel in the right lane.
Source: usnews, ttnews, wtop, roanoke, southwesttimes
Lets see—I-81 has less truck stops now which means less parking. You cant park on exits or on/off ramps. Now you want to take more money from a Trucker who already is getting reamed 1000 ways from china and you say that is innovative ! Sounds like the same old horse dung but with a different smell. You come up with all kinds of ways to make it so difficult for any driver to do a thankless job because the reality is that you don’t have an original thought in your head ! When the trucks stop a rolling because of your Innovative ways, then Senators–since robot trucks do such a good job of driving themselves, why don’t you just hop in one and get you some sleep.
This has got to stop!
Every lane, off ramp, of a interstate is built by using IFTA money federal and state.
So this all part of the interstate commerce right, cars are not even allowed on interstates.
BS
Now IF I go to VA I can now charge a premium of 1,000 in addition to the load rate of 3.50 per mile.
“INF” – translation – Inconvenience Fee.
If everyone does this for one month it will straighten this crap out real quick.
And I thought Trump was for the small business man or woman?
This is a state bill, not federal. Trump has nothing to do with a Virginia bill. 🙄😂
Violating trucker’s Constitutional rights again. Don’t politicians have anything better to do than violate people’s rights. This is blatant discrimination. Truckers are not the only drivers on their highways. And their own plow trucks do more damage to roads in one snow storm than one year of trucks on the same road.
I think all truckers should go on strike, and see how the states like , getting no product delivery to that state. The tolls are especially hurting the owner operators. Too bad the states don’t take care of their roads and highways with the money they have collected all these years……….Use some common sense if you have any. !!!!!
We have an idiot that does not understand how trucks work.
If he has any kind of redeemable qualities, he should go for a ride up and down Interstate 81 in a truck as a Ride Along.
Otherwise, Virginia citizens will get to pay 10% more for everything!
not sure where they get these ideas bad ones at that most of the accidents between four wheelers and trucks are 80% the four wheelers fault and those are dot numbers when will they get it right there going to push all the good drivers out with all this new truck in the right lane only that’s crazy what happens when cars trying to get on the highway don’t merge properly then that means no one can do the 70mph speed limit because all the trucks that run 62mph will be in front can’t get around them have to stay in the right lane then when there going up the hills at 20mph yeah that’s really going to make a mess eventually there going to restrict trucks so much the rates are going to be $8-10 a mile are how well that works out prices of everything will go thru the roof
Cars cause most of the accidents. We don’t want any more tolls on
WOW! So we the truckers have to continue to pay more. Highway use tax, UCR, IFTA, Etc, and now more. WTH is going on? When do we say enough? I say we all as truckers unite and say, enough is enough. This is ridiculous!
What an idiot. Good job voting for this idiot VA.
Never work, Senator need to study who’s at fault for crashes. Like RI this will only divert traffic to non
till roads most back to 95 to cross into Nd.
All this excessive tolling cost will be passed down to the consumer you can bet on it……the trucking industry has had enough of the money grabbing. The trucking industry may even have an extra fee tagged onto any state they deliver in participating in this nonsense.Quit mis appropriating funds and you wouldn’t have these issues…
Has every nut job politician for got that the interstate highway system was originally developed for truck traffic only as the national defense highway system?
If truck drivers would actually do something for themselves, rather than just talking, maybe things would change. Since I started driving in 1987, all drivers do is talk, too much. Quit, and then when the senators have to move their own freight, maybe things will start to change.
When are the politicians going to realize that ALL costs of freight are passed on to the consumer? Charging truck tolls is just surcharging every end user of every product.
They will just being in more from other countrys to replace them..no problem
Yeah….lets make the Truck Drivers pay more on top of everything else we have to pay for. That makes perfect sense!
Double the rate for loads delivering to the state, don’t buy fuel, food or anything else in the state once it hits the retailers and the consumer it will force them to shut their tolling crap down.
The senator that is in charge of this is a dumbass,if any thing the trucks should be in the left lane to get away from dumbass four-wheelers that doesn’t know how to drive, and if you morons think that charging trucks is the answer then you need to get the hell out of politics, leave the truck industry alone;we should be able to drive the speed limit and pull hills with out the truck slowing down! Every one says it’s for safety reasons, bullshit it’s pure greed; safety would be governing cars to 65mph, not trucks; and put them on a eld and only let them be able to drive for 11hrs a day and work for 14 hrs; then when they don’t have the job done charge them money for the failure. ! Every one says keep it fair that would do it;;
Another brainless politician.
Let’s see, the toll is 100 dollars? Then we need to add 200 dollars for that load. The extra 100 will be the convenience fee to cover atm costs and billing. I can see ten dollar a loaf bread in VA s future.
I guess I’ll be taking my fight out of Washington D.C. and into Richmond VA. If these damn states would focus more on the training drivers get before they put them on the roads we wouldn’t have all the damn wrecks.