5 ms·
Heavy commercial trucks account for nearly all road wear. Until they transition away from diesel, almost all particulates and other pollutants, too. They should
by Zigurd 3y ago
Heavy commercial trucks account for nearly all road wear. Until they transition away from diesel, almost all particulates and other pollutants, too. They should pay the most tax that goes to road maintenance.
- ejb999 3y ago"They should pay the most tax" ...and by 'they', what you really are saying is the end consumer will pay 100% of the tax, which has been passed on to them from the trucking company.
- Zigurd 3y agoThat's what the trucking industry says. But that just has the effect of keeping freight logistics inefficient. Pricing-in externalities, especially for commercial activity, increases efficiency. Just about any argument that goes "Let me keep benefitting from the commons without paying full price because poor people" is sus.
- Symbiote 3y agoThat's OK. The farmer, supermarket or whatever who can more efficiently transport their goods will have a small advantage.
- NeoTar 3y agoBut it also influences behaviours. This could be switching to smaller vehicles (which may not be a net-reduction in carbon dioxide emissions), or alternate means of transportation; perhaps in some areas rail freight becomes viable, or encouraging local production of goods.
- standardUser 3y agoTrucks are not the only way to move goods.
- stefan_ 3y agoBut most spending on road maintenance goes to roads that make no sense other than as a massive subsidy to rural communities and the people in them.
- SoftTalker 3y ago> They should pay the most tax that goes to road maintenance. They already do.