Oregon lawmakers have scheduled a special legislative session for August 29 to address a $350 million funding gap at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
Here’s what’s on the table:
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A 6¢ increase to the state gas tax, raising it to 46¢ per gallon
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A $42 rise in vehicle registration fees
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A $139 hike to title fees
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An additional $30 fee for electric vehicles that aren’t paying gas tax
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A doubling of a 0.1% payroll tax for transit services
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Plans for a potential per-mile charge on EVs in the coming years
The governor claims this is needed to avoid laying off hundreds of ODOT workers and maintain basic road services. Republican lawmakers argue there are alternatives to taxing Oregonians harder—like reallocating existing revenue reserves instead of raising fees or taxes.
What This Means for Truck Drivers (if they pass it as is):
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You can expect to pay more at the pump and higher fees on your registrations.
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These costs will cut into take-home earnings—or potentially make operations more expensive.
It’s worth asking: Are these new funds really fixing roads for people who drive trucks and haul loads? Or are they funding pet projects and programs with little benefit to day-to-day operations?
Bottom Line:
Stay tuned. Expect costlier fuel and registration changes in the coming months. We’ll keep you posted on the outcome of the session and what that means for your wallets—and our work.
Safe roads matter to us all.
-Ryan