In The News
New tolls could lead truckers to avoid Ohio Turnpike
BEREA, Ohio – Truckers and the Ohio Turnpike Commission are at odds again about tolls on the 241-mile road that runs near the state’s northern border.
The commission is hearing public testimony on a proposed toll increase by the end of 2009 when the E-ZPass electronic toll system is implemented.
The proposal would force trucking companies to pay more in tolls if the new rates are implemented and a discount program eliminated, the commission was told Monday.
"A diversion to secondary roads will have unintended negative consequences, such as increased congestion, wear and tear on highways and accidents," said Chris Bott, regional manager of Con-way Freight in Cleveland.
That diversion would replicate what occurred when rates were increased beginning in the late 1990s and trucks abandoned the turnpike.
Bott said his company paid $1,345,640 in Ohio Turnpike tolls in 2008.
The E-ZPass system allows drivers to cruise through toll plazas, where antennas pick up account information from special windshield tags. The toll is automatically deducted from the driver's account. E-ZPass already is in use in 13 states.
Under the new system, the toll for seven classes of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles and trucks, are based on the number of axles they have. Currently, 11 toll classes are based on weight.
The current toll for the basic 18-wheeler semi, which weighs about 80,000 pounds loaded, is $33.50 to drive across the state. The new rate is $32.00.
The commission maintains the new system would reduce tolls for truckers.
That is deceptive, trucking officials said.
Many companies now receive a 15 percent toll discount each month after they spend $1,000 on tolls. The program, offered since 1997, would be eliminated under E-ZPass because it would be too hard to coordinate with electronic tolling, turnpike officials said.
And the new class based on axles doesn't take into account empty trucks, which is increasingly common in the current economy as truckers deliver a load, but have no return load.
Larry Davis, president of the Ohio Trucking Association, told the commission that the current $33.50 rate for loaded semis would be $28.50 with the discount. And an empty truck currently pays $24, or $20.40 with the discount.
If truckers abandon the turnpike, it would negate the commission's actions in 2004 to lure trucks back to the 241-mile road. They included raising the speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph and reducing tolls. That reduced truck traffic on routes such as Ohio 2, U.S. 20 and U.S. 422.
But even with those incentives, truck traffic decreased 6 percent in 2008 compared to 2007. All traffic has dropped because of high fuel costs and the depressed economy.
Commercial vehicles make up 20 percent of all turnpike traffic and provide 55 percent of toll revenues, turnpike officials said.
Lyndon Finney of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at [email protected].