Just a few months before Rhode Island starts collecting its first truck-only tolls, the state is considering a proposal which would ban trucks from using some secondary roads in order to force truckers to drive on highways and pay their tolls.
Rhode Island’s truck-only tolls are meant to help pay for Governor Gina Raimondo’s Rhodeworks plan which aims to spend $4.7 billion on roads and bridges over a 10-year period.
On Thursday, the State Traffic Commission met and heard a proposal from the RIDOT that would restrict large commercial truck thru-traffic from driving on certain state routes. Supporters of the proposal say that allowing trucks on smaller roads would have an impact on their safety and quality of life.
“This ensures safety for both people and roads,” said an RIDOT spokesperson. “It helps preserve the quality of life in our towns, rural areas and neighborhoods. It relieves congestion and it keeps our assets viable until they can be repaired or rehabilitated.”
The new truck-only tolls will likely be the driving force behind truckers seeking out local roads – a problem that was pointed out when the tolls were first proposed.
If trucks do end up leaving the interstate, the RIDOT worries that not only might they damage smaller roads, but the state will also miss out on the tolling income from those trucks. And according to Chris Maxwell, president of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, that’s a big reason why the truck ban is being considered.
“If you know anyone who doesn’t think this is directly related to tolls, I have a bridge in Rhode Island I’d like to sell them,” said Maxwell according to TurnTo10, a local NBC affiliate station.
Another issue with the ban is that it could have a negative impact on local businesses. Only trucks that are using the state routes as thruways are supposed to be banned, but that presents a problem. As Maxwell puts it; “How are they going to find out what trucks are traveling what roads for what reason.”
UPDATE: That’s a concern shared by some members of the State Traffic Commission, and it’s one of the reasons they voted against the ban by 3-to-2… for now. Those who voted against it made it clear that this was only a temporary “no” vote.
“I’m not suggesting that this is not a good option,” said Traffic Commission Chairperson Edward Mello, who is also the Jamestown Police Chief. “I think we just need to be very slow and deliberate to make sure that we are proceeding correctly in the right direction.”
The Commission has already agreed to hear the proposal again at a later date once more information is gathered, there’s more language added to the proposal that would protect local business, and once residents and police departments have been given more time to consider the change.
Maxwell claims that the Rhode Island Trucking Association is planning on suing the state as soon as the first truck-only toll is collected.
Source: wpri, providencejournal, usnews, turnto10, truckersreport, truckersreport
Gary says
It’s not the first truck only toll road. The lower end of I87 in NY is a truck only toll road.
Alan says
But they can’t sue Rhode Island for a truck only toll in NY now can they?
Jon McLaughlin says
That is the section heading east on I-87 between the Tapanzee bridge and where I-87 turns north. I belly ache to the toll collectors every time I go through there. I am usually told after a minute or two to move on, imagine if every trucker did that every day. Or just by-passed it like the cars can.
Jon McLaughlin says
correction, WEST on I-87
Gary says
And who cares? Just pass the bill along to the customers. That’s what any good business man would do anyways.
John says
I thought that the Constitution banned discrimination? Are we still in the USA or a pathetic version of it?
Psy says
Surprem Court ruled it illegal to GPS track a drug dealer. FMCSA says it’s ok to GPS truck drivers for safety. Surprem Court refuses to hear case brought by Ooida. There are always two sides to a coin, whatever benefits the pockets of politicians or they donors, right?
Psy says
Hey RI my company just put you on the DNR list, hope you find the trend painfully repetitive.
Enough is enough says
Exactly. I wish no company would use RI. Their politicians are well known of being garbage.
Andrew H says
Plenty of good freeways around RI. Like grabbing the I-395.
RKempke says
They want to make the trucks pay the tolls, then make the shipper pay the difference. If they want it there bad enough they’ll pay for it.
Stingray1963 says
Make sure the shipper pays upfront too. Most have a habit of not paying extra charges, like tolls.
Robert goodman says
Banning trucks from legal weight roads just to collect a toll is wrong we have the right to drive what route we want as long it is legal it is our option travel the route we want tolls are excessive as it is decreasing my profits dramatically
D says
Let the truck’s just stay out of the state altogether and see how they feel about that !!
It will never happen. But it should. Had they spent the gas tax money on the roads in the first place
Jerry says
Amen to that…just don’t pickup or deliver in R.I…..let them figure it out
Marilyn Wynn says
I totally agree. Let them see just how long they can survive without trucks coming into their state. Trucks are not the only one that should pay for new roads.
Johnny holt says
Don’t buy fuel in to they’ll get the message pretty quick we did that some years back in Indiana when they wanted to raise fuel taxes through the roof they backed off that idea
J rogers says
I don’t take loads or pick up loads or go to RI. Would not bother me if they built a wall around RI and fill it with criminals
William P McKechnie says
There’s no wall, but it sounds like their state government is full of thieves. 😁
Cj says
Lol……Awesome proposal. ..That needs to be a SnL skit
Tim says
Maybe it’s time that truck drivers refuse to run in these states. If a truck don’t bring it, you don’t get it. So tired of people complaining about the trucks that bring all the necessities of life to their doorstep.
Lynn Hensley says
Yeah, just refuse to deliver into the state of RHODE ISLAND… Let the governor the crunch of everyone having to drive out of state to get groceries, vehicles, medical attention, etc…. It would be more costly the damn roads
mike says
everyone here is complaining but when this news was hot not to many said to much. Now that its here everyone is saying its not fair well guys it was sent to the superior court and they said its ok to do it. I am totally against it but I have no choice , I live here.
Sam says
Trucking is corrupt. From the simple driver all the way to the DOT commission. If you’re a driver I don’t need to explain my statement. We as drivers always talk smack about what we are going to do to get justice. The truth is, nothing can be done. The system is DOA and we all took part in the murder of great profession.
DantheMan says
Better truckers will refuse delivery there. The industries beauties will fill the void. They think they have issues with trucks now?
Robert Scott says
It only affects consumer prices in the end. Freight rates into the NE are up. I don’t go there anyway. They could pay me $10/mile and I still wouldn’t go there. This is just another reason to stay away.
Erik says
Ny HUT was ruled unconstitutional because it unfairly targeted out of state trucks. Apparently this moonbat governor never looked to her west to see that.
mike says
She is the wicked witch of the west from the ” Wizard of OZ .”
Barbara says
Everyone hates her, but somehow she still got re elected.These tolls are going to hurt us and RI doesn’t want them. We have no say in anything anymore. It,s just going to bring up the prices of everything in the state and force more business out or to close up. Someone has to pay for this. WE DON’T WANT THIS.
keith smith says
When was it ruled illegal?(NYHUT) and where can that ruling be found?
Rufus Crank says
Why aren’t the companies who put more than my truck weighs into my trailer, paying anything for infrastructure? My truck only weighs 35, but every shipper puts 38-45 into it. Seems like they should be paying weight/distance tax along beside me.
com.bil says
But it is your truck that is doing the damage to the roadway. Your truck you control what your freight rates are, only Companies regulated are House hold and Government,. You control you profit, quit winning !
William says
This is something you drivers should be fighting and stop whining about eld !
mike says
to late its done just waiting for it to happen now.
John doe says
They let the cable companies/telecom, food industry, retailers all become monopolies. Now state governments are getting in on the fun. Soon enough there will just be one place to buy everything. And that place will be called evil corp.
Jon says
Ever hear of the trunk monkey?
Looks like we need to develop the “cargo box lawyer”.
Seems like a driver can not turn without needing a lawyer by their side.
James Humphrey says
I say the whole East Coast could fall off the map and I wouldn’t care. I’m not going up there and paying tolls they want food let them come get it.. O/O 30 +
Marilyn Wynn says
Yes sir. I agree with you.
PFM says
What they don’t tell the local voters is that the trucking companies will just raise the freight rate of goods going into Rhode Island to cover the new toll costs, meaning they will pay more at the store. Back-door tax on the local population, all in the name of improving infrastructure.
David hoskins says
Trucking companies don’t set the rate the seller or the buyer sets rate. The driver then bids on the load through a broker. Driver takes it or doesn’t.
mike says
David ,I don’t think PFM was talking about rate as far as getting the load.He may have been saying it as a total charge .
PFM says
I’m talking about the big national company driver heavies – no way in hell they will take a hit to profits.
com.bil says
I wonder where you have been living ? I can assure you the largest retailer in America will make Rhode Island, offset their profit margin, either in the form of surcharge or higher product cost, the end user will pay them for the toll expenses
Anthony Conan Colby says
You can’t get 2 drivers to agree on anything..Trucks will continue to deliver to RI..Swift, CRST and the other big box companies will continue to haul there…
com.bil says
Swift and CRST are not big box retailers , Common Carrier Freight Company
Willie Perry says
Isn’t it ILLEGAL to have a toll road without a opportunity to avoid paying the toll ( secondary road)?? I’ve always heard it was.
I’d fight it and file lawsuits after lawsuits myself sounds as if OOIDA needs to get involved big time and fast.
This is a bunch of bs I swear anything to get in the pockets of the o/o trucking companies & drivers If these states were to stop blowing money on pet projects they would have plenty of cash to rebuild every single roads highways bridges and interstates
Thank God I stopped going east of the PA/Oh lines years ago.
Shane says
The answer is simple, like others have said. Stop going into RI for any reason and let the state feel the crunch of not being able to receive goods to and from the state. They will quickly change their minds on this whole situation.
charles says
one town here in newtown, nd.. made a truck route.. banned trucks going thru city.. lasted about 2 months.. then changed it to if you have bussiness you can come in.. they have a starting point and ending point for what is business .. they fine 150.00 if you get caught going thru city without doing bussiness…
Jane says
Many state laws (i.e. California) violate our basic Bill of Rights, most notably Amendment 14, which gives us the freedom of interstate travel. An example of a violation: A state can’t require 18 inch mud flaps when 12 inch mud flaps are required in the rest of the country. This impedes our right to move freely between states.
Jane says
Drivers are already paying a federal and state excise tax on every gallon of diesel we buy, which goes directly into the highway maintenance coffers.
William P McKechnie says
It is SUPPOSED to go into infrastructure, but we all know that is BS. In Canada, very little of the Federal Tax, the Provincial Tax, the GST, which is a tax on a tax and the Excise Tax goes into infrastructure. We are always promised a reduction in the Excise Tax on Diesel, but we are still waiting.
com.bil says
Drivers DO NOT PAY any taxes or fees, the truck owner of record is responsible for all levies by all states the vehicle is registered to operate in . All of that money is collected under the guise of Federal and State Highway Funds ! The reality is our system which has been assassinated by lawyers, is controlled by them and not the taxpayer, they have reserved the authority to redirect a portion of every monetary fund ascribed to Federal and State accounts, by a simple amendment, during the markup process of any new law.
Dick says
I can’t remember if I have ever been through Rhode Island.
My company does set the rate, if the client ever tries to set the rate we walk away. Usually the rate they are trying to set is below our break even point.
We need to get rid of the low balling bottom feeders
mike says
they haven’t even started work on this yet. Nothing that states anything about any kind of toll .They are paving a major route to Worcester but thats about it . When and if they finally go through with this I cannot say but if I were an out of state vehicle going to any point in Mass. I would surely find another way to get there other than coming through RI.
Robert says
First off, where is there a truck only toll on lower I-87? Second, like the other person said, there are plenty of other ways to get around RI without really going out of your way to so it. Third, just refuse to go into RI unless your load pays enough to cover all expenses plus!
Wildfire90863 says
The truck only toll is on the south side of the tappanzee bridge
Barney Big Rig says
It’s just another scam by the government to bilk the truck driver out of more money by saying the trucks interfere with “their quality of life” COMPLETE B.S.!!💯
Larry says
When no bread, food and rest of items people enjoy every day are scares on store shelves quality of life will go back to making sustenance farming?
Betty Hunter says
Its all BS for EVERY STATE THAT HAS TOLLS AND THEY MAKE DRIVERS PAY THEM
Wildfire90863 says
I might not mind paying the tolls in RI and the rest of New England IF the roads were worth paying for. I put ALL of New England on my DNR list a while ago. The roads beat the hell out of me and my equipment, the drivers up there are horrible, hell even some of the truck drivers up there should have their CDL’s revoked. Speed limits are merely a suggestion. I could go on and on. I don’t miss it at all!
William Serenity Trucking Womack says
I wonder what happened to the money Rhode island already collected for roads?Boy it must be nice to continue to steal from the Americans.
Bill Remington says
From what I understand RI cannot stop you from using a US route where all of us pay the HVRT. But, they can regulate the State routes.
I already told my agent that I would not delivery containers anymore into RI where I think its unethical where truck drivers are giving the four wheelers a free ride in using the (RI) interstates. If they (RI) are going to set up tolls then everyone should pay and that means the residences of RI and all other (four wheelers).
The problem we have here is that today’s truckers do not stick up for their rights from what I can see. For what I can see their could be a law suit here where it’s only the truckers that pay the toll. It is unfair for only truckers to pay, everyone that uses the interstates should be paying for their fair share
Larry says
Ignorant bureaucrats always coming up with bright ideas to line their pockets, when toilet paper costs a gazillion dollars in RI voters might actually speak up.
Iriemonarch says
Just gonna add RI to the list of dirt bag states I no longer do business in that’s all !!!
JD says
We’ll truckers, do you have the balls to say NO to RI and not deliver to that state?? Stand up from the castration couch and do what needs to be done for your industry, your co-workers and yourself. Truckers Unite and Do Not deliver to RI.
mousekiller says
When Ill first put in use the 294 toll Many of us used Hy 41 to go north to northern Ill and Wisc. They patrolled the non interstate toll road Hy 41 pretty heavy and harassed us hoping we would rather pay tolls. I didn’t really care but bypassed the toll just to piss them off and prove to the cops what they were doing was illegal. They soon stopped but it took a couple of years and some bad publicity. There purpose is flawed. Of course RI will lose tool money if trucks choose to not run a toll road. Poor babies. raising taxes on fuel ? Punishing truckers for not digging into their pockets to satisfy the inability of the states leadership to budget. A fair tax ( toll) would be to toll every vehicle.Democrats at work . SSHHH dont wake them.
com.bil says
I am not sure about what options a driver has in this issue, but I do know what I am going to continue to do. I do not accept any freight for my trucks that goes beyond Nashville Tenn., to the East and no further north than the Mason -Dixon line, Have not been to the north east since 1991.
Kaz says
I think everybody, everywhere is going about this from a really narrow minded perspective.
We have a FEDERAL interstate system? All of the individual state maintenance is done using FEDERAL funds that get funneled down to the state level, then trickle down further from there.
IFTA is in place to balance usage per mile per state using FEDERAL diesel taxes.. THAT is supposed to be the maintenance account for each state, right? But.. degrading infrastructure (and corruption) are depleting revenue faster than It can be generated, leaving a desperate hole to patch up.
Make EVERY SINGLE interstate in the country a toll road for EVERY vehicle at a an equal rate of 2 cents per mile, reguardless of vehicle type. Electronic tolling on the highway after every interstate exit. Every registered vehicle has a federal transponder that bills the registered owner of that vehicle.
Let the supreme court rule on the implied concerns over invasion of privacy. It will become very obvious very quickly who is out there illegally trafficking.
Locals would be more inclined to take local routes. Those travelling longer distances would travel the interstates. Those trying to hide will pay the price of inconvenience waiting at stop lights.
Each state gets their fair share based on the highway miles driven in their state. Everybody wins without bickering over who gets what for revenue.
Governmental accountability when it comes to spending is non-existent. With this framework in place, freedom of information requests would create a visible paper trail to expose the corruption of it all.
The public would see the account balance.. and where it all mysteriously disappears to.
Tolls should be optional. Under a fair and balanced pay-for-privilage system like this, they would be.
It will never happen though. Transparency is the enemy of the government who is shuffling money behind the backs of everybody. Regardless of the topic, when a pile of revenue is available, there is far too much money to be made in debates and conflict than to resolve any issue in a fair and acceptable way. Disagreements become job security for those who are elbow deep in the cookie jar.
Why replace any bridge when we can pay lawyers and government contractors the entire operating budget to bicker over what pavement would work the best?
This is why IFTA is now ineffective. Greed, lack of accountability, and a sudden acknowledgement of just how unsafe infrastructure has become, have conspired to open the door for creating this new demand for an acceptable source of generating more revenue.
Unless we draw a line in the sand, this is the next failure of government.. and everybody gets robbed.. again.
RD says
I agree with you Kaz. It’s a great concept, but when you try to recover the stolen cash cow, the war begins and heads will roll. The only way these tolls can be like you propose, is when the legislature is filled with honest government officials. Not sure if there is any honest officials or any that are allowed to to become government officials if they are not corrupt.
Doc says
You guys deserve what’s coming I don’t feel sorry for you guys when December 19th rolls around. Been out here since 85 and we Truckers back in the day stood up but you so called Truckers don’t do s***. Wait until December 19th all you little boys are going to be whining and quitting and by the way on the East Coast and mid construction Crews are putting up signs no parking on the on and off ramps $380 fine. F*** the ATA fuc JB Hunt Schneider Warner and Swift. Good luck you wannabe drivers… I’ll still be on paper laughing my ass is off at you
Ken says
Doc I’ve been driving since 86 and I can honestly say you are full of s***, bitter much ?
RD says
First of all, you all know that the bureaucrats are thieves. They make excuses for the need to fill their pockets. Probably some contractor friend or cousin of one of the RI Legislators is scheming up a cash cow to fatten up their Camen accounts.
Secondly, You all know that Swift and some of the other worst fleet companies are going to make this happen, Right? They want your business to be theirs.They really can afford to pay the tolls because of the low pay rates to their rookie drivers that will go anywhere or be threatened to loose their jobs. They can accomplish this by moving freight for 1/2 the rates that owner operators and small companies need to charge.
Thirdly, The owner operators and small companies should just stay out of states that gouge into the pockets of the small companies. One thing is for sure… the big fleet companies will cause so much havoc on their toll roads that the politicians who came up with this hairbrain scheme will find themselves voted out once the voters see the truth and have enough of the caos.
In the end… the OO still looses and the people still get shafted.
LorieJo330 says
The first of more than a dozen new Rhode Island truck-toll gantries now stands above Route 95 South in Exeter.
Installed over the highway in the early morning hours Feb. 15, the steel tower may be familiar to some Rhode Islanders. Years ago, it held the electronic scanners of the short-lived toll over the Sakonnet River Bridge to Aquidneck Island.
When the state terminated that toll in 2012 because of political backlash, transportation officials stashed it away to use again if the opportunity to collect toll revenue ever came again.
So, opportunity has come again. If the people of RI can get there toll bridge removed, truckers and trade organizations can do it too. Hit them where it hurts – in the stuff they buy and stuff they manufacture. Delays in deliveries will create the backlash needed to get these gantries removed.
Brian says
let toll all trucks 1$ per mile , every mile every hwy ..then pass that fee to the “people” for example a single orange picked up in florida for 38cents each shipped to california , that orange will now sell for 38$ sound like a great idea … im oing to tell the truth … I DONT CARE , TOLL ME 1,000,000$ a day for all i care ..its NOT the trucker or company that will pay for it in the end … ITS the average joe …o once again so in crystal clear …go ahead and TAX my truck a 1,000,000$ a day …. are you ok with higher prices ??? bend over america , trumps tax cut is a tax shift…not a cut at all