* DC - Feds could pay for road improvements by charging big trucks by the mile
--- The massive “18-wheeler” trucks that haul cargo over the country’s roads and highways, the taxes they pay to use roads don’t match the costs they impose... Technology exists to easily and relatively cheaply charge trucks by the mile, varying the charge by the axle weight and the type of road the truck is on. This vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) system is simple. The truck receives a one-way GPS signal to allow it to identify its location, and an onboard computer that’s loaded with price-per-mile data for all roads in America. In addition, trucks would be equipped with wireless axle-weight sensors. These would let the onboard computer calculate an additional surcharge based on pavement damage (a formula that factors the type of road and axle weight). The computer would then remit taxes monthly to the federal highway trust fund and to every state it traveled through... A VMT system like this would have huge advantages over the current taxing system. First, taxes would be more carefully related to true infrastructure costs. Trucks that do more damage to roadways would pay more. This, in turn, would increase transportation efficiency by reducing pavement damage, encouraging trucks to drive fewer trips with fuller loads, or encouraging shippers to use rail if it made more economic sense...
Washington, DC, USA - The Hill, by ROBERT D. ATKINSON - 22 May 2017Labels: taxes policy, trucking industry news USA
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