Truckers In Favor of Fuel Tax Hike

(See here) an Associated Press Piece which appears at the MSNBC website that reports about the federal commission that overseas financing transportation has recommended an increase in the federal fuel tax. Currently the tax is 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents a gallon on diesel. If Congress goes along with the recommendation, the gas tax would increase by 10 cents a gallon and the tax on diesel would go up by 12 cents to 15 cents a gallon.

I am a self employed trucker. Personally, I am in favor of the increases. From what I hear on the CB, I thought I was pretty much a lone wolf in the trucking industry by being in favor of such a tax increase.

I was pleasantly surprised (although not shocked) that I am not completely alone. In fact, I may be in the majority. The linked to piece reports that the American Trucking Associations (ATA) is also in favor of the increase. Quoting from the article:

Charles Whittington, chairman of the American Trucking Associations, which supports a fuel tax increase as long as the money goes to highway projects, said Congress may decide to disguise a fuel tax hike as a surcharge to combat climate change.

Transportation is responsible for about a third of all U.S. carbon emissions created by burning fossil fuels. Traffic congestion wastes an estimated 2.9 billion gallons of fuel a year. Less congestion would reduce greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign oil.

"Instead of calling it a gas tax, call it a carbon tax," Whittington said.

Bottlenecks around the nation cost the trucking industry about 243 million lost truck hours and about $7.8 billion per year, according to the commission.

First off, let me inform you who the members of the ATA are. They include the majority of the larger trucking companies in the nation.

I also wish to point out that this support comes with a caveat. It is only as long as the money goes to highway projects. I am in agreement with them on this.

I am also quite amazed that the Chairman of the ATA, Charles Whittington, suggests calling it a carbon tax instead of a fuel tax. Could it be that the ATA is worried about their contributions to global warming?

I am really tickled that I am not so alone by being in favor of measures like this. In fact, if I am in agreement with the ATA I am accompanied by most of the heavy weights in the industry.