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Big Wheels Tearing Up Florida's Roads

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2007

When consumers shop for frozen pizza, blue jeans or DVD players, they compare prices and look for bargains. But they probably don't think about the cost of getting the merchandise to the store - and how they pay that cost in increased taxes and diminished safety.

Trucks remain a staple of the American shipping industry, carrying more than 80 percent of all cargo moved inside the United States. And they pay substantial over-the-road taxes, in addition to the fuel taxes that all motorists pay. Yet a recent analysis by The Associated Press finds that these taxes don't come close to compensating local, state and federal governments for the damage trucks inflict on roads. One study suggests that a typical 40-ton truck (properly loaded) can cause as much wear and tear on a road as 9,600 cars.
Overweight trucks do far more damage, putting excessive strain on bridges and shortening the life of roads. Trucks carrying excess loads also become harder to maneuver and steer, making them more likely to crash. When a tractor-trailer collides with a passenger vehicle, the results are often fatal: The number of deaths in car-truck collisions has risen steadily since 1990, with both truck drivers and occupants of passenger vehicles at risk.

The problem of overweight trucks is worse in Florida than in other states because our fines are so low. For more than 50 years, state law has set a fine of 5 cents per pound for excess weight - a penalty that amounts to a gentle wrist-slap for trucking firms. It's not enough - especially when balanced against pressure to overload trucks because of higher fuel costs and less drivers. The state sells overweight permits for $500, a fee that's ridiculously low.

There's little doubt that companies are taking advantage of Florida's laxity, treating the fines and fees as an acceptable part of doing business. In random inspections last year at the Port of Miami, more than 40 percent of the trucks coming into the port were overweight, and most had not purchased permits.

Someone has to pay to fix the damage these trucks do - and, in most cases, that means taxpayers foot the bill.

More responsible fees and fines won't slow down Florida's trucking industry; this state still provides a healthy market for the clothing, food and other products trucks carry. But it makes little sense to cling to a fee and fine structure that falls so short of making up for the damage caused by overweight trucks or the dangers they pose.

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