Free ride? No such thing

MTAC President Joseph Sculley’s letter to the editor of Journal Inquirer.

The writer of the May 12 letter titled “Enjoy your free ride” clearly expresses a desire to have out-of-state trucks contribute financially to the maintenance of Connecticut highways. There is good news for the writer: They already do.

Connecticut collects fuel-use tax from out-of-state trucks that drive on Connecticut highways, regardless of where the fuel was purchased. This happens through Connecticut’s participation in the interstate compact called the International Fuel Tax Agreement. Out-of-state truckers pay fuel-use taxes based on fuel they use while traveling in Connecticut. They pay at the same rate as anyone else paying the diesel tax in Connecticut, which is currently 41.7 cents per gallon.

Out-of-state truckers also pay their fair share of vehicle registration fees based on their travel in Connecticut. They pay apportioned registration fees based on the percentage of their total miles driven in the state. This happens because of Connecticut’s participation in the International Registration Plan.

Over the last couple of years, Connecticut has received between $26 million and $30 million annually in total revenue from out-of-state trucks. There is no such thing as a free or subsidized ride for out-of-state trucks traveling through Connecticut.

See the original post online.