Heavy trucks on the road today underpay their share of highway costs by nearly $1.9 billion.

According to the USDOT’s Highway Cost Allocation Study (HCAS), a five-axle tractor-trailer registered at the 80,000-pound federal limit pays 80% of its highway maintenance costs. A 100,000-pound six-axle truck will pay only 40% of its costs.

A long double-trailer combination registered at 129,000 pounds pays only 60% of its costs. A triple-trailer truck registered at 110,000 pounds pays only 70%.

Source: Addendum to the Federal Highway Cost Allocation Study, FHWA, 2000

The USDOT also concluded that, “when LCVs and other heavy trucks do not pay the full costs of their operations, other motorists must make up the difference. This is inequitable to the highway users who must subsidize LCV operations.”

Source: Western Uniformity Scenario Analysis, USDOT, April 2004, p. XI-1

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