A mileage-based road usage charge (RUC) on large commercial trucks using highways in the US state of Connecticut has taken effect.
Approved by Connecticut policymakers back in 2021, the RUC aims to generate ongoing revenue from Class 8 through Class 13 motor vehicles to support the state’s Special Transportation Fund, which pays for the upkeep and improvement of the state’s roads and bridges.
And, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis, the scheme will raise about US$90m (£72m) a year through a per-mile tax on tractor-trailer trucks, which will scale with the weight of the vehicle.
The fee will reportedly range from US$2.5 cents (2p) per mile for trucks weighing between 26,000-28,000 lb (11,793-12,700kg) to US$17.5 cents (14p) per mile for trucks weighing more than 80,000 lb (36,287kg).
The tax, which is reportable on a month-by-month basis, began on 01 January 2023, with the first highway user fee tax return due on or before 28 February 2023.
The reporting deadline for each month will be the last day of the following month.
Connecticut’s Department of Revenue Services recently issued guidance for the highway user fee, enacted by the legislature in 2021, to assist trucking companies with compliance.
Exempt vehicles include those carrying or transporting milk or dairy products to or from a dairy farm that holds a license to ship milk.
You can learn more about the key trends and challenges affecting senior decision-makers who have responsibility for tolling, intelligent transportation systems and road usage charging in America at the second annual Road User Charging Conference USA in Miami, Florida on 26-27 April 2023. Click here for more information.
