MINNESOTA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

Roads are for using, and truckers pay their fair share

Note: The following letter was written by MTA President John Hausladen and printed in the November 20 issue of the Pioneer Press.

In his commentary of November 8 (Cure for $100 crude? Raise taxes on big rigs), Ed Lotterman recycles some of the anti-truck arguments that have been made for years, – but fail to recognize today’s economic reality. 

In nearly seven out of ten Minnesota communities, truck transportation is the ONLY available mode of providing the delivery service.  In the absence of rails, waterways and airports, trucks deliver the mail, our groceries, this season’s Christmas gifts and thousands of other items that make commerce flow in Minnesota.  And as consumers increasingly demand next-day delivery of goods to their doors, freight trucks are the only way to accomplish that in much of Minnesota.

The deterioration of Minnesota’s roads is a real problem in many areas of the state – but don’t put the blame on trucks.  Roads are created precisely to be used, not preserved like some museum piece.  And when roads become damaged, it is because they are subject to the wear-and-tear their engineers expected.  For as long as there have been roads, there have been highway crews that need to maintain them – that wouldn’t change even if there were trucks were banned on any Minnesota roads.

For the privilege of using these roads, the trucking industry pays it fair share – and more.  According to American Transportation Research Institute data for Minnesota, trucking companies represent 4% of the registered vehicles and 8% of the vehicle miles driven in this state, yet contributing a whopping 35% of all state and federal transportation taxes collected in the state. 

So if legislators followed Lotterman’s advice, and raised the taxes that truckers and their families pay for the privilege of delivering goods to homes and businesses, it wouldn’t stop the need for the trucking industry. It would only increase the prices consumers pay for their holiday gifts.

Reducing fuel consumption by the trucking industry is an admirable goal.  The best way to accomplish this is for the state to make a major investment in the state’s road system, particularly in the metro area, to eliminate congestion. In-transit idling is the most inefficient and wasteful use of fuel. Eliminating freeway bottlenecks will do more to reduce fuel use and help the environment than piling new taxes on the price consumers pay for having presents delivered to their homes.  And trust me – truckers are also willing to pay their fair sure for better roads.

Posted November 27, 2007.