3 ms·

The best use of resources would be to build far more railroad tracks and reduce semi-truck transportation.

• nradov 2y ago
  Sounds good. Who will pay for that? The problem is that most of our major freight rail lines were first built when land was very cheap or even free (stolen from indigenous people). Now the land for more rail lines will cost a lot whether it's purchased outright or acquired through eminent domain. And even building more railroad tracks would only marginally reduce truck transportation. Most truck freight is time sensitive (rail freight can never be fast) or goes places that rail can't really reach.
  • dv_dt 2y ago
    Who pays for the upkeep of roads that are exponentially more broken down by truck freight than by any other traffic on them?
    • nradov 2y ago
      Truck operators mostly pay for upkeep of roads via taxes on diesel fuel, as well as vehicle registration fees.
      • dv_dt 2y ago
        Cargo trucks offset their cost to keep the roads up, but are subsidized in comparison to the wear and tear they cause on our roads