OOIDA Says Divisive truck-only VMT will kill highway bill

Truckers refuse to be singled out to pay for roads

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance saying any proposals that would impose a truck-only, vehicle miles traveled tax are a “no go.” Lawmakers on the committee have looked at the possibility of including a VMT in the next surface transportation reauthorization to raise revenue for the declining Highway Trust Fund.

“We understand that many elected officials lack the courage to raise fuel taxes,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “But singling out trucks to carry all the weight is discriminatory and doesn’t address the real reason for a dwindling revenue stream.”

The letter dispels the myth that trucking doesn’t pay enough into the highway trust fund.

“Preposterous,” said Spencer. “We not only have always paid more than what is fair, we’re willing to pay more to improve our crumbling infrastructure, but we refuse to be singled out.”

The letter also questions the timing of the proposal, which comes after months of lawmakers in Washington praising truckers for keeping goods moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now you want them to fix funding shortfalls that they didn’t cause, because you don’t have the guts to increase fees for all highway users. Congress is responsible for deficit spending and the lack of sustainable funding for the HTF, not truckers. Congress created this mess, not truckers. Truckers are willing to fix it, but not alone.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has more than 150,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the Greater Kansas City, Mo., area.

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