Getting there will require cooperation, commitment, and contributions from all stakeholders. This will be a long road and a long-term process that takes time, careful planning, and wise leadership. Moving from a federal fuel tax to a national VMT tax won’t be as simple as switching lanes. A new report from the American Transportation Research Institute details the many practical and political obstacles that policymakers will need to navigate in order to ensure a smooth transition. Recently, a vehicle miles traveled tax system- which would assess a fee to every vehicle for each mile driven - has gained steam in some policy circles as a viable alternative to the fuel tax that can lead our transition away from a carbon-based user fee.Īlthough a VMT system may very well be the funding mechanism of the future, its viability is far more complicated once you lift up the hood. Political inertia, increases in fuel efficiency and the rise of electric vehicles all make clear that the federal fuel tax will one day become obsolete as the Highway Trust Fund’s primary revenue generator. Just as we had America’s back through the height of the pandemic-from the early-day runs on groceries and toilet paper, to the deliveries of those first shots in arms-the nation’s 7.5 million-strong trucking family is ready to play a constructive role in helping our country build back better and stronger than ever before. That’s why we’re committed to working in earnest with Congress and the Biden Administration to turn big, bold plans of modernizing and revitalizing our aging national infrastructure into a reality this year. The National Highway System enables us to keep the American economy humming, and we’re proud to pay our fair share to help ensure all motorists benefit from a safe and sound interstate network to get people and things where they need to go. Despite being only four percent of vehicles on the road, trucks currently pay nearly half the entire HTF user-fee tab. How do we cover dire and urgent maintenance costs in the short-term and also settle on a long-term funding mechanism that is both equitable and sustainable?Īs the leading payer into America’s Highway Trust Fund, the trucking industry has an important and helpful perspective to offer this debate.
With Washington now channeling its energy toward infrastructure legislation, the policy discussions on Capitol Hill will ultimately be driven by the question of funding. Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference.
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