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don't trucker pay far higher highway/maintenance tax compared to normal people using the roads. that is atleasy my understanding of how a lot of a highway deve

don't trucker pay far higher highway/maintenance tax compared to normal people using the roads. that is atleasy my understanding of how a lot of a highway development gets funded, bussiness pay a lot more highway/road tax.

SteveGerencser 5y ago
From the IRS: The highway use tax applies to highway motor vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. This generally includes large trucks, truck tractors and buses. The tax is based on the weight of the vehicle and a variety of special rules apply. These special rules are explained in the instructions to Form 2290. So yes, trucks do pay more in taxes, but that doesn't help the "roads are free" or the "you didn't pay for that" mantra.
- Retric 5y ago
  The US tax code is more complex than any one tax. VA for example charges fees to any car over 25MPG. https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#highwayuse_fee.asp https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#highwayuse_fee.asp Overall looking at all taxes and fees vs costs, semi trucks get a major discount vs the costs they add to the US highway system. They cause a lot of damage and take up a lot of space both from being heavy and driving a lot more miles while being relatively fuel efficient to their weight. This means not only do bridges etc need to be over engineered vs cars but they also need to be repaired more often. States are in a bind because if they raise fuel taxes truckers will largely fill up in another state. The constitution limits what they can do about interstate commerce. Meanwhile cars are paying annual registration and property taxes on top of fuel taxes while generally being driven vastly less.
deleted 5y ago
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UncleEntity 5y ago
I have access to a quarterly report telling what the road taxes are by state (which I’m supposed to be consulting when I decide where to fuel but don’t actually care) and can say with 100% certainty that trucks aren’t driving around on “free asphalt”. They take the money out at the fuel pump, figure out how much you owe for each mile driven in each state, divvy up what was paid and return any over payment to the owner of the truck. I’m currently sitting in California and they add $0.727/gallon to pay for the “free” roads for example.
- ethagknight 5y ago
  The mantra of free asphalt is tied to the fact that you had to advance exactly $0 capital to get that highway built, maintained and ready to go. You mention that you don’t really care to consult pricing strategy for taxation.. I think that is sort of case in point? I’m guessing most logistics trucking pass a fuel surcharge along to the customer anyway.
  - UncleEntity 5y ago
    I don’t care because I don’t pay for fuel, simple as that. Plus, if you overpay, they give the money back so it only really matters for the short term income which effects me exactly %0.
Retric 5y ago
No, most road taxes are just gas taxes which truckers largely avoid. Semi’s are relatively aerodynamically efficient vs cars so they don’t need nearly as much fuel per mile as you might assume. Meanwhile their extreme weight both causes significant damage and forces bridges etc to be significantly overbuilt vs cars.
- ngngngng 5y ago
  My small town has to spend so much money repairing roads damaged by large trucks that we considered a weight limit or perhaps a fee for vehicles over a certain GVW, but anything of the sort is illegal in our state to implement so we're just forced to build roads large enough for the largest truck that feels like driving through town and constantly fixing the damage.
  - verve_rat 5y ago
    Your town could build some tight s-bends at each entrance to town.
  - ethagknight 5y ago
    Your small town can just make it a hassle to drive a large truck through. Bollards, bump outs with bollards, protected pedestrian crossings (with bollards). Bollards are key because trucks will willing destroy landscaping or hard scape, need something that will damage the truck. Also important to give truckers a quality alternative route to avoid the more sensitive parts of town. Lots of solutions available if town council wants to explore.
stefan_ 5y ago
When reading the other replies here, keep in mind none of those taxes nearly come close to funding the cost of roads in the first place. How could they, something like fuel tax was last raised in 1993.

SteveGerencser 5y ago

From the IRS: The highway use tax applies to highway motor vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. This generally includes large trucks, truck tractors and buses. The tax is based on the weight of the vehicle and a variety of special rules apply. These special rules are explained in the instructions to Form 2290. So yes, trucks do pay more in taxes, but that doesn't help the "roads are free" or the "you didn't pay for that" mantra.

Retric 5y ago
The US tax code is more complex than any one tax. VA for example charges fees to any car over 25MPG. https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#highwayuse_fee.asp https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#highwayuse_fee.asp Overall looking at all taxes and fees vs costs, semi trucks get a major discount vs the costs they add to the US highway system. They cause a lot of damage and take up a lot of space both from being heavy and driving a lot more miles while being relatively fuel efficient to their weight. This means not only do bridges etc need to be over engineered vs cars but they also need to be repaired more often. States are in a bind because if they raise fuel taxes truckers will largely fill up in another state. The constitution limits what they can do about interstate commerce. Meanwhile cars are paying annual registration and property taxes on top of fuel taxes while generally being driven vastly less.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

UncleEntity 5y ago

I have access to a quarterly report telling what the road taxes are by state (which I’m supposed to be consulting when I decide where to fuel but don’t actually care) and can say with 100% certainty that trucks aren’t driving around on “free asphalt”. They take the money out at the fuel pump, figure out how much you owe for each mile driven in each state, divvy up what was paid and return any over payment to the owner of the truck. I’m currently sitting in California and they add $0.727/gallon to pay for the “free” roads for example.

ethagknight 5y ago
The mantra of free asphalt is tied to the fact that you had to advance exactly $0 capital to get that highway built, maintained and ready to go. You mention that you don’t really care to consult pricing strategy for taxation.. I think that is sort of case in point? I’m guessing most logistics trucking pass a fuel surcharge along to the customer anyway.
- UncleEntity 5y ago
  I don’t care because I don’t pay for fuel, simple as that. Plus, if you overpay, they give the money back so it only really matters for the short term income which effects me exactly %0.

Retric 5y ago

No, most road taxes are just gas taxes which truckers largely avoid. Semi’s are relatively aerodynamically efficient vs cars so they don’t need nearly as much fuel per mile as you might assume. Meanwhile their extreme weight both causes significant damage and forces bridges etc to be significantly overbuilt vs cars.

ngngngng 5y ago
My small town has to spend so much money repairing roads damaged by large trucks that we considered a weight limit or perhaps a fee for vehicles over a certain GVW, but anything of the sort is illegal in our state to implement so we're just forced to build roads large enough for the largest truck that feels like driving through town and constantly fixing the damage.
- verve_rat 5y ago
  Your town could build some tight s-bends at each entrance to town.
- ethagknight 5y ago
  Your small town can just make it a hassle to drive a large truck through. Bollards, bump outs with bollards, protected pedestrian crossings (with bollards). Bollards are key because trucks will willing destroy landscaping or hard scape, need something that will damage the truck. Also important to give truckers a quality alternative route to avoid the more sensitive parts of town. Lots of solutions available if town council wants to explore.

stefan_ 5y ago

When reading the other replies here, keep in mind none of those taxes nearly come close to funding the cost of roads in the first place. How could they, something like fuel tax was last raised in 1993.