PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Dec. 21, 2017) – The Rhode Island Trucking Association (RITA) has issued a Consumer Alert regarding the potential financial impacts to RI’s working families and small businesses if truck tolling starts.

“The state’s public relations machine has done a good job convincing RI taxpayers that they are insulated from RIDOT’s truck tolling scheme, but nothing could be further from the truth.” states Christopher Maxwell, President/CEO of the RI Trucking Association. “The math involved with supply chain economics is extremely simple – if delivery costs go up, so will the cost of goods to the consumer.”

RITA’s Consumer Alert points out how tolling trucks will increase the cost to deliver goods into and throughout Rhode Island. The result will be higher prices for basic necessities every working family needs as well as added expenses to small businesses which impacts their bottom line and ultimately threatens jobs.

Maxwell continues “RI’s working families and small businesses are already paying some of the highest taxes in the nation. Either intentionally, or by way of incompetence, RHODEWORKS is nothing more than a complex shell game that drives the costs of truck tolling right through the front door of every home and every business in our state. If truck tolling starts, everyone pays – we should all be extremely concerned.”

Although the Federal Highway Administration approved a procedural report, the legality of truck‐only tolling is yet to be determined. “Truck‐only tolling violates specific provisions of the US Constitution. Despite the RIDOT Director’s statement that ‘FHA has cleared the way’ for truck tolling, he failed to state the reality which is the State of RI is facing a lengthy and very expensive legal battle that will be funded by taxpayer dollars. This battle is far from over” concludes Maxwell.

Click here to download the Consumer Alert as a PDF file.