Vol. 114 - No. 104 - June 2, 2010

Higher Fees for Trucks at Port of Baltimore Possible

Baltimore city officials are considering raising fees on trucks carrying oversize or overweight loads out of the Port of Baltimore, according to a published report.

The Baltimore Business Journal reported the City Council asked the mayor to consider the hike, which could double charges for some trucks serving the port, as an alternative to a tax on bottled beverages.

Truckers are opposing the effort, saying it would discourage shippers from using the port, which competes with major facilities from Boston to Norfolk, Va., for maritime business on the East Coast.

"We have enough problems in our state keeping business here," Joseph Cowan, owner of a local trucking, told the Baltimore Business Journal.

Baltimore is in a growing lineup of cities and states trying to close budget gaps left the steep decline in tax receipts during the recession.