Page 44 - ATR 1 2015 web

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Puchasing PoWer oF the gas tax since 1993

Costs have continued increasing and Congress has What are the implications? Since 2008, the
done nothing. The gas tax has lost almost 40 percent of federal government has regularly scrambled to provide
it’s purchasing power. Still set at 18.4 cents per gallon the Highway Trust Fund with enough money to get by
of gasoline, the fuel tax has drastically lower purchasing in the short-term without coming up with a long-term
power than it did in 1993. solution to fix a perpetually draining fund

20¢

15¢

Cents per gallon 10¢

5¢

0¢

1993 1998 2003 2008 2013

Federal gas tax Federal gas tax adjusted
for inflation

Resources:
The Federal Excise Tax on Gasoline and the Highway Trust Fund: A Short History, Department of Transportation, FHWA, FTA, Texas A&M
Transportation Institute, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Trucking Associations, AAA Insurance
ATR

44 arkansas trucking rePort | issue 1 2015