Highway bill under debate: are truckers paying too many taxes?

New highway bill sparks debate: truckers pay nearly 20 times more per mile traveled than the average car owner.

Congress is currently working on the development of a new highway bill. However, a debate has emerged within the trucking industry that could influence the final decision. According to data from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), truckers pay nearly 20 times more per mile traveled than the average car owner. This has raised questions about whether their contributions to the Federal Highway Trust Fund are truly fair.

Charles Sperry, a research analyst at OOIDA, told Land Line Now that the association’s members are overpaying for highway maintenance. According to data from the Tax Foundation, the average car driver pays about 2.1 cents per kilometer in federal and state fuel taxes, while a typical heavy truck pays 4.1 cents per mile in federal fuel taxes alone.

Although this is nearly double what passenger vehicles pay, it represents only a fraction of the total federal taxes that truckers are required to pay. This situation has raised concerns within OOIDA, which is now calling on the government for answers and solutions.

Truckers pay more than enough in taxes

According to OOIDA data published in Land Line, truckers pay an average of $11,625 annually in federal fuel taxes, an additional $27,550 in federal excise taxes on tires, trailers, and trucks, and $2,921 in fees related to heavy vehicle use, registration, and other charges.

In total, the average OOIDA member contributes around $42,132 per year to the Highway Trust Fund, while the average passenger vehicle driver contributes between $137 and $296 annually. Given that OOIDA members drive just over 109,000 miles per year on average, their contribution amounts to about 38.6 cents per mile, according to the Foundation.

It is also worth noting that these figures do not include state fuel taxes, which are often used to fund non-transportation-related state projects. With all this in mind, Sperry concludes that truckers are already paying more than their fair share.

What does the government say about high taxes on truckers?

Congressman Mike Collins, a trucking company owner, has publicly acknowledged the significant financial contribution that truckers make to the Highway Trust Fund.

During a House subcommittee hearing in April, he stated that truckers already pay more than their fair share. In his view, increasing their tax burden is not the right solution for boosting the fund’s revenues.

Collins outlined the various taxes faced by the industry, including the federal heavy vehicle use tax. To him, these financial obligations clearly show that truckers already carry a substantial portion of the cost of maintaining the nation’s road infrastructure.

For this reason, OOIDA is calling for a balanced and fair approach in drafting the new highway bill—one that fully considers the total financial burden truckers shoulder each year. While the association has a key ally in Congress, most lawmakers have yet to address the issue. OOIDA is hoping for a timely response and a fair resolution that supports America’s truck drivers.