Ohio Truckers See Increases in State Fuel Taxes

Truckers and other drivers in Ohio saw an increase in state fuel taxes earlier this summer when the Ohio tariff on gasoline increased 10.5 cents (to a total of 38.5 cents per gallon) and the tax on diesel fuel increased 19 cents, to a total of 47 cents per gallon. Lawmakers rejected a request by Governor Mike DeWine to index the fuel tax to inflation in future years.

The increase is expected to raise over $865 million per year, which will be split 55%/45% between the Ohio state government and local municipalities. The state constitution mandates that motor fuel taxes can only be used for the maintenance and construction of roads and bridges.

The tax is in addition to federal fuel taxes of 18.4 cents and 24.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and diesel, respectively. The federal amounts have not changed since 1993, though the American Trucking Associations supports increasing the federal tax rate by five cents per year for four years to help provide permanent funding to address the nation’s infrastructure maintenance needs.

For comparison purposes, the following chart contains fuel tax rates for neighboring states:

                                Gas Tax                               Diesel Tax

                               Cents per Gallon              Cents per Gallon

Indiana                     42.9 cents                          50 cents

Kentucky                  26 cents                             23 cents

Michigan                 44.1 cents                          43.18 cents

Ohio                         38.5 cents                          47 cents

Pennsylvania           58.7 cents                          75.2 cents

West Virginia          35.7 cents                          35.7 cents

That translates to an additional $57 in fuel tax for the average tractor that holds 300 gallons of diesel fuel in the tank, bringing the total to $141 of Ohio fuel tax per fill-up. Also, with the increase, the average family who drives 12,000 miles in a vehicle that gets 25 MPG will pay an additional $50 per year.