OTA praises budget measure that will close huge loophole

Avatar photo
TORONTO, Ont.– The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is commending a part in the provincial budget that was announced today that would close a long-time loophole which exempted certain heavy trucks from having to be plated and subjected to commercial vehicle registration fees, provincial fuel taxes and even 407ETR tolls.
 
For years, certain heavy trucks (like mobile cranes, vacuum trucks, and concrete pumper trucks) were labeled as “road-building machines” under the Highway Traffic Act, sparing owners from being charged fees and taxes other commercial truck operators are forced to pay.
 
“A truck is a truck is a truck,” said David Bradley, president of the OTA. “It should not matter what commercial enterprise a truck is in. They are all road users and their owners should pay their fair share of the costs of building, maintaining and safety of the infrastructure.”
 
OTA estimates the revenue leakage from the gap to be near $50 million a year.
 
“It’s not like we’re talking about construction vehicles which are clearly road-building machines,” said Bradley. “We’re talking about trucks, many of which are involved in a broad range of commercial activities deployed by profit-driven entities like any other commercial road user. We commend the provincial government for having the courage to close the loophole.”
Avatar photo

Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*

  • A crane or concrete pumper truck does not haul anything down the road other than itself . The OTA. should be more worried about its own members who short change the drivers