A memo outlining some of President Trump’s long-awaited infrastructure plan leaked earlier this week. Its six pages contain a couple of potential bombshells including that drivers can expect new tolls on interstates and a repeal of protections against tolling on existing roads.
White House Spokeswoman Lindsay Walters spoke about the memo saying: “We are not going to comment on the contents of a leaked document but look forward to presenting our plan in the near future.”
Some of the contents of the memo appear to line up with talking points and promises made by President Trump and other Republicans in the past, but others seem to be a departure.
For example, on the topic of the federal fuel tax, President Trump voiced his support for an increase both on the campaign trail and after his inauguration. But there is no mention of the gas tax at all in the leaked memo. Yet according to special assistant to the president for infrastructure policy, DJ Gribbin, the gas tax isn’t totally off the table.
“We don’t support it,” said Gribbin. “We don’t oppose it either.”
On the topic of tolling however, the memo is significantly less vague. The first two “Principles for Infrastructure Improvements” listed in the memo are as follows:
- Allow states flexibility to toll on interstates and reinvest toll revenues in infrastructure
- Reconcile the grandfathered restrictions on use of highway toll revenues with current law
Also outlined in the memo is the Trump Administration’s plan to focus on funding coming from private companies. While this may help keep federal spending down in the short-term, it also means opening up the door to more public/private partnerships like the infamous Indiana Toll Roads deal which led to the privatization of a public road by two foreign companies, resulting in issues with safety, congestion, and price increases. It eventually ended in bankruptcy.
Many transportation groups are less than enthused about the proposed changes.
“The leaked Trump infrastructure plan is a complete reversal of President Trump’s commitment to putting America First,” said Stephanie Kane, spokeswoman for Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates, in a statement. “Although then-candidate Trump campaigned against lining the pockets of Wall Street and promised to be the voice for the working class, this plan does the opposite. President Trump is choosing Wall Street over Main Street. It would take money from hardworking Americans and give huge profits to toll road investors – many of which are foreign companies.”
“Our primary concern is that the memo talks about giving states the ‘flexibility’ to toll existing interstates and ‘reconcile the grandfathered restrictions on the use of highway toll revenues with current law.’ We’re gearing up for a big fight over that,” said Kane in an interview with Fleet Owner.
“So-called ‘creative financing’ tools are a road to nowhere, as study after study shows the shortfalls of tolling and the unintended consequences that tolls impose on motorists and surrounding communities,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “There is nothing ‘conservative’ about tolling.”
You can read the whole 6-page leaked memo here.
Source: truckinginfo, fleetowner, overdrive, ttnews, axios, forbes, huffingtonpost, foxbusiness, kwch, cnbc, politico, thehill
So now we lose our per diem and we are going to have increased tolls to pay for road repairs! Great!
Gotta love it right?
We lost our per diem??
Apparently, I, Mr VanWinkle, slept thru that occurence.
When and how did they take away our per diem??
We don’t lose per diem. The standard deduction has been doubled. Big difference. I actually think doubling it and changing the tax brackets is long overdue. As for tolls, HELL NO. As for fuel tax HELL YES.
it’s all still in the works I wish you people would just have some faith in this guy. Give him time some a****** leaked these and it may not be the final decision. You know they have to throw ideas around and then put something together that works. Bunch of chicken littles running around saying the sky is falling….
He’s had enough chances.
Let me get this right, you want higher fuel tax? How can you justify higher taxes with a government that has no independent oversight and that is ZERO accountable to it’s citizens. how may times have they raised taxes for road repairs and all our roads still look the same. our trucks are taking a beating on these roads.
Why is fuel taxes good? You must don’t buy your own fuel. SMH
We didn’t lose per diem we got 24 k instead of 18 k on 300 days work ….last time we lost per diem was under bill clinton
just remember, you people voted for him.
Looks like ‘fake news’ to make Trump look bad. Typical MSM garbage
The thing that bother me the most they talk put the people first but all I see the people first to do is go in there pocket
Im not going to worry too much about until it actually is released. Usually a lot of changes are made. I will say this trucking business is becoming a mess. Between low pay, higher operating expenses, ELD’s, parking headaches and now more tolls possible. The industry then acts surprised that drivers are getting out of it and younger people aren’t interested.
If we could charge more for each of these issues it would be one thing but the industry won’t get on the same page.
You know in the old days of trucking it was tough..I was there..the shut down later helped a little on pay and stuff..but today’s trucking and pay and stuff we are going backwards..just like the movie FIST.. we are going back to that era it seems fast..to many Turks on road means low pay..companies and all crock you somehow..just like FIST but in reverse..
honestly, I don’t have a thing against tolls as long as everything is 100% transparent. Also should be a road side ticker with cost and debt owed or link for a smartphone to read for information.
If you don’t have a thing against tolls you need to wake up and realize this is a road that leads to the destruction of this country. There is no such thing as a toll road without corruption. Transparency does not exist. Foreign governments will eventually control how Americans move about the US. Just imagine a world where it’s costs $2000 to drive across the country.
Sadly, soooooo many sheep won’t comprehend your comment.
This is a two bird one stone solution for the corporate overlords’
stop the people from moving,indenture them’ and fill the coffers,we are loosing our freedom’s one by one at an accelerated pace never before seen,the corporate TROLS on this site are everywhere’ wake up now or lose it all.
This is so true, people need to wake up
That would be nice in a perfect world. Unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world and our government is no where near 100% transparent.
What toll roads do you travel? It would be logical if the tolls collected kept the roads well maintained. From my experience the toll roads are worse in most instances than without. Not to say there aren’t bad roads without. Insult isn’t added to injury to travel them though.
Great now we loose the per diem ok
Now this is great I make more money.
Btw guys, IF I go to RI I now charge a premium of 1,000 in addition to the load rate of 3.50 per mile.
And now I want be able to sleep at a a rest area in CT fantastic!
3.50 a mile plus another 1,000 for a
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?
no..there wont be any repairs done..foreign companies will suck the money right out of the US along with tax breaks given by the govt..many of our roads today are owned by foreign countries such as spain and portugal.
You all knew it was coming sooner or later (tolling). It was just a matter of time.
I’d have thought that an increase to the federal fuel tax would solve that problem,but we are the proverbial scape goats to all legislation in Washington.
If we don’t like it, we might all try to organize like the port driver’s are doing right now in Washington state and shut the country down.
Yeah, I know pipe dream
No way I’m shutting down. First, I’m a company driver so I’d probably get fired. Second, I got bills to pay. Wheels stop turning bills don’t get paid.
Dude we all need to stop imagine the power the truck driver has its going to waste
If we shut down YOU WILL SHUT DOWN!!!
I agree!! we need a Nation wide Drivers Union.
Leaked Documents can have one of two purposes.
One is that a whistle blower feels the information is important enough for the Public.
The other r
The other reason is for a back door test of the information to gather feedback from the public since the media is so eager to print whatever they find that might be a secret.
I hate tolls. Just raise the gas tax for the counties with the toll roads. The burden Would be spread out equally. It would just be .10-15 cents extra per tank vs 2-3 dollars a day . $ 10-15 a week can hurt someone
I fully support raising the fuel tax. I don’t support tolls. The toll roads are not in the greatest conditions and they should be the best roads on our interstate system since our tolls are supposed to directly pay for that. I know this is a dangerous move and I gotta believe the house Republicans will think hard about this because they are all up for reelection in the fall. Vote NO to tolls and repealing current law against tolls on current roads. Vote YES to Fuel tax.
Agree to it now from there be more to come
Agree to tolls….. from there it will be more to come no matter how much they collect for the roads and highways it will never be enough
They just gave the rich and coorperations huge tax breaks to help “create jobs.” Now they want to charge us truck drivers even more to drive on the roads? They can’t tell us they actually care about the working class, that’s complete bs!
End government giveaways to foreign countries and invest the savings in our intrastructure. There would be more than enough revenue to to invest in our people and our culture. To hell with giving money away to beggar countries and countries that want America to die. We owe the world nothing and we shouldn’t have to pay for anything for them. Charity for foreigners should be given from the private sector. Tired of watching our people suffer because of corrupt politicians.
Like or hate Trump. I like him,but hes still government know matter how you look at it. Once again someone running FMCSA that has no clue was hired.The government uses truckers.Because its easy. Know one stands up for themselves in this industry. Besides on channel 19. Little groups parking for the weekend,doesnt work. You have to make customers(businesses) start screaming. But, Uber has started a freight division. So, its pretty much over for making money for the o/o. when you add in elogs. we get a break on one thing and screwed on 2 others.viscious cycle. If you like being gone for weeks or months and think taking home 4-500 a week is good. youll survive. and also havent been at it to long. I made more than that 30yrs ago.
I think I have a solution. O/O’s need to work together. Locally, find several O/O’s and create a “company.” This way, it will look like a large company, but it is really just a bunch of O/O’s doing whatever they want. This way, the “company” gets paid its full rate and since there is almost no cost in running this “company” the O/O’s get the full amount of freight in their pockets. What do you think?
The problem is we are already paying huge amounts of taxes for infrastructure through tolls, fuel taxes and Heavy Road use taxes and as we’ve learned they are being mis appropriated! How about fixing the that issue first?
Government has a very bad record of missing using funds dedicated for projects.
We are already paying heavy road tax fuel tax just about all I can do to survive im so sick And tired of them thinking we’re made of money we need to show the government who they work for
The only reason I never purchased my own truck is because an independent driver can’t make a successful living anymore. Unless you own a fleet and don’t mind going through drivers all the time, you will never make good money. Most people don’t even pay good rates. The government has destroyed this industry.
You say your just a driver you have bills to pay if all the drivers went on strike it would tAke 3 days tops no one gets fired guaranteed. food is needed we’d have power to fix this crap
I agree, but the problem is getting all truck drivers together to make it happen at the same time.
A country that charges its citizens to move about the country isn’t a place I want to live. We have to stop this now
This is a two bird one stone solution for the corporate overlords’
stop the people from moving,indenture them’ and fill the coffers,we are loosing our freedom’s one by one at an accelerated pace never before seen,the corporate TROLS on this site are everywhere’ wake up now or lose it all.
Where are all of the people who swore Trump would change things and fix the industry.
With all of the taxes we pay on everything, especially fuel, you would think they would have more than enough money to keep the entire road system like it was built last week.
They need MORE!!!
Screw the citizens if they have anything, only politics should have it.
We need to impeach him, before he destroyes this country, he only has the lowest approval rating ever, but yet we still let him go, so in turn we are only allowing this to happen to us if we don’t step in and take the appropriate actions.
As far as I’m concerned they have more than enough money to fix the roads they just don’t. The further the governing body is let the roads fall into disrepair the easier it is to push for toll roads, higher fuel tax and so on. Do your research. The previous administration spent billions on road projects across the country and nothing really got fixed. All these states spend millions on beautification where they paint a bird on an overpass. It’s a road all it needs is to be smooth with little lines that separate lanes. Not “art” on the sides to distract drivers. Believe me the money’s there, they have created the excuse to raise more money for their country clubs.
Well said alt311, I agree with you