How much will this cost us?
The Feds are proposing to allow states to toll more interstates.We already pay state and federal gas taxes for these roads.Can you imagine how much more this could cost us to go camping since we would...
Forum Discussion
mike mck wrote:Francesca Knowles wrote:bid_time wrote:
Increasing the load by 12.5% increases the road wear by 42% - BULL!!
THERE IS NO STATISTIC TO BACK UP THAT HYPOTHESIS.
Well, yes, there is/are; though it's not a "hypothesis", it's a plain fact. If anything, it actually understates the impact. I s'pose there are national variables due to weather etc.
For those who understand enough engineering/"non linear" math to absorb the data, here's a link to a fully annotated/backed up document. It's from Minnesota, and represents one of the studies that finds the damage increase to be even greater than that estimated above. Do please note the language per "geometric rate". Damage isn't straight-line related to beginning number.A conventional five-axle tractor-semitrailer operating at 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) is equivalent to about 2.4 ESALs.
If the weight of this vehicle were increased to 90,000 pounds (a 12.5 percent increase), its ESAL value goes up to 4.1 (a 70.8 percent increase), because pavement damage increases at a geometric rate with weight increases.
Link to source
So if it is larger long haul trucks beating up the roads I would suggest higher road use taxes for Trucks. I am aware we will all cover those costs in cost of goods. So be it. As has been stated maybe more goods will travel by Rail?
"On average, a typical 80,000 pound GVW tractor-trailer truck pays $13,889 per year in truck highway taxes" - http://www.mackinac.org/8433
Rail is already the most efficient mode of transportation by far, at 3 cent per ton-mile vs. 37 cents per ton-mile for trucks. How much more of a difference will it take to offset the need for faster transit times than rail can accommodate? - http://richardtorian.blogspot.com/2012/01/cost-per-ton-mile-for-four-shipping.html
Knee-jerk reactions caused the over-taxation of the trucking industry, and you are fueling the fire with your undereducated point of view. Businesses running on just-in-time delivery models (in order to save on warehousing expenses) fuel the need for more trucks on the road, not the cost of rail transport. The only mode of transport more expensive than trucking is air freight.
Signed - Your friendly neighborhood logistician.