Covenant CEO Says Trucking Industry Willing To Pay To Upgrade Highways

Topic 17281 | Page 1

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Anchorman's Comment
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Covenant CEO says trucking industry willing to pay to upgrade highways

Parker, the founder of one of America's biggest trucking companies and a board member of the American Trucking Association, said the trucking industry is willing to pay higher gas and diesel taxes to help upgrade America's highways and reduce the growing problem of traffic congestion. Traffic backups on highways already cost the U.S. trucking industry $9.2 billion in 2013, or more than $4,100 a year for the typical Covenant truck driver.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

Farmerbob1's Comment
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I've always been puzzled at the lack of more toll roads. They can pay for themselves, if they are well-placed. There are quite a few stretches of I-40, for example, which could really use some upkeep, and have infrequent exits, so putting up toll booths would not be terribly expensive.

Sambo's Comment
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Convert all HOV lanes into truck lanes...problem solved!

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Man..I should be a city planner!

Rick S.'s Comment
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I've always been puzzled at the lack of more toll roads. They can pay for themselves, if they are well-placed. There are quite a few stretches of I-40, for example, which could really use some upkeep, and have infrequent exits, so putting up toll booths would not be terribly expensive.

Less a matter of putting up toll booths than of there being a PROHIBITION on tolling Federal/Interstate Highways (with a few exceptions). This was supposedly "relaxed" in the 2014 highway bill (as evidence by RI tolling trucks on I-95) - but these infrastructure enhancements/repairs are supposed to be covered in the FUEL TAXES, and apportionment created by heavy vehicle registration and IFTA agreements.

Strangely, regardless of Parker sitting on the ATA board - it's unusual for someone that owns what is a "smaller" of the majors - speaking for all the LARGER COMPANIES when "volunteering them" to pay more in fuel costs. What that DOES - is increase the LANDED COSTS OF PRODUCTS (because the trucking companies pass along their increased costs, in rate increases), which in turn makes the CONSUMER PRICE OF GOODS go up.

While traffic backups may cost US DRIVERS in time efficiency - since the COMPANY DOESN'T PAY DRIVERS for getting caught in traffic - it's no skin of THEIR BUTTS.

Rick

Interstate:

Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).

Farmerbob1's Comment
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double-quotes-start.png

I've always been puzzled at the lack of more toll roads. They can pay for themselves, if they are well-placed. There are quite a few stretches of I-40, for example, which could really use some upkeep, and have infrequent exits, so putting up toll booths would not be terribly expensive.

double-quotes-end.png

Less a matter of putting up toll booths than of there being a PROHIBITION on tolling Federal/Interstate Highways (with a few exceptions). This was supposedly "relaxed" in the 2014 highway bill (as evidence by RI tolling trucks on I-95) - but these infrastructure enhancements/repairs are supposed to be covered in the FUEL TAXES, and apportionment created by heavy vehicle registration and IFTA agreements.

Strangely, regardless of Parker sitting on the ATA board - it's unusual for someone that owns what is a "smaller" of the majors - speaking for all the LARGER COMPANIES when "volunteering them" to pay more in fuel costs. What that DOES - is increase the LANDED COSTS OF PRODUCTS (because the trucking companies pass along their increased costs, in rate increases), which in turn makes the CONSUMER PRICE OF GOODS go up.

While traffic backups may cost US DRIVERS in time efficiency - since the COMPANY DOESN'T PAY DRIVERS for getting caught in traffic - it's no skin of THEIR BUTTS.

Rick

Everything you said is true, at least to some extent. However, remember that time is money. It might not cost more driver wages to move a load from point A to B, but the real cost of slower roads is a valid concern.

Every hour in traffic is an hour that the truck isn't able to make money. If, over the course of a month, you would have been able to make another 1000 mile delivery on better roads, then the company lost their potential earnings off that 1000 mile load, and so did you.

That's not considering late fees, or missed dock appointments that have to be pushed back, etc.

I have no doubt that the major trucking companies would have some interest in helping a little more to maintain problem roads, but the devil is in the details.

Interstate:

Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).

Bill F.'s Comment
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Don't be so quick to tout toll roads. They are only as good as the contract is written and able to be enforced. We have several toll roads in Florida that the public wishes had never been implemented. Politicians don't consider the long term impact, but the general public that has to live with the tolls can suffer. We have a toll bridge that wasn't needed in the first place, was built based on BS traffic estimates, and is now losing money so fast the entire board of directors quit. The contract was written so, that in money losing conditions, the tax payers were on the hook for the required maintenance. Once certain losses were incurred, the contractor could also raise tolls pretty much as they see fit. Also consider that many of these toll road/bridge building contractors are foreign businesses operating under WTO rules. Guess who never wins in court against the WTO? USA...

Kanelin's Comment
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Don't be so quick to tout toll roads. They are only as good as the contract is written and able to be enforced. We have several toll roads in Florida that the public wishes had never been implemented. Politicians don't consider the long term impact, but the general public that has to live with the tolls can suffer. We have a toll bridge that wasn't needed in the first place, was built based on BS traffic estimates, and is now losing money so fast the entire board of directors quit. The contract was written so, that in money losing conditions, the tax payers were on the hook for the required maintenance. Once certain losses were incurred, the contractor could also raise tolls pretty much as they see fit. Also consider that many of these toll road/bridge building contractors are foreign businesses operating under WTO rules. Guess who never wins in court against the WTO? USA...

Haha you're talking about the "bridge to nowhere" near Pensacola. Ithe was a boondoggle from the start. Some politician owned the land at one end which was bought for top dollar even though most of it was protected wetlands. And the toll has gone up something like 3000% since it was opened.

Tractor Man's Comment
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I certainly don't see a LACK of Road Construction. I see a lack of COMPLETED Road Construction. IMHO there is a TON of graft and corruption in many of these Road Projects. Make BIG Campaign Contributions, get the Project, stretch it out for years, and bleed the Taxpayers dry with massive cost overruns and ridiculously long delays. Not that I'm cynical or anything!

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Bill F.'s Comment
member avatar

double-quotes-start.png

Don't be so quick to tout toll roads. They are only as good as the contract is written and able to be enforced. We have several toll roads in Florida that the public wishes had never been implemented. Politicians don't consider the long term impact, but the general public that has to live with the tolls can suffer. We have a toll bridge that wasn't needed in the first place, was built based on BS traffic estimates, and is now losing money so fast the entire board of directors quit. The contract was written so, that in money losing conditions, the tax payers were on the hook for the required maintenance. Once certain losses were incurred, the contractor could also raise tolls pretty much as they see fit. Also consider that many of these toll road/bridge building contractors are foreign businesses operating under WTO rules. Guess who never wins in court against the WTO? USA...

double-quotes-end.png

Haha you're talking about the "bridge to nowhere" near Pensacola. Ithe was a boondoggle from the start. Some politician owned the land at one end which was bought for top dollar even though most of it was protected wetlands. And the toll has gone up something like 3000% since it was opened.

Exactly. The only good thing that happened is that politician and his wife ended up in jail on an unrelated charge. He was taking money from casino owners, while publicly condemning gambling, and did not pay taxes on it. Crooked as a broke back snake.

LINK

Kanelin's Comment
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Haha that's northwest Florida for you. Escambia County once floated a bond issue so it could sell the county landfill to itself.

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