Tax file: Truckers take taxes over tolls

Trucking executives told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on September 7 that they would rather pay for highways with higher gas taxes than new tolls. Douglas Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight, said taxes could be collected with existing mechanisms, whereas each toll facility requires a new bureaucracy.

Chris Lofgren, president and CEO of Schneider National, said, “The [toll] collection process increases congestion; drivers have the option of switching highways, merely displacing congestion; the charges apply all day long, not just during congested times; and toll revenues are easily diverted to other uses.” Tim Yatsko, senior vice president for transportation at Wal-Mart Stores, took a slightly different tack, saying his company supported tolls if the money was not diverted.