Veg oil diesel users fined by state (NC)

Hybrid drivers don't get a break from motor fuel taxes. All energy used comes from fuel that has been taxed.

But battery powered vehicles are a tax non-payer.

Having lived in NC until 1998 I think the people should be told where all the gas tax for roads went. Several years after the tax was put in place the road funds were gone and no new roads were built and the sencondary roads were terrible. The last time I was in NC I77 and I85 were like wash boards. Hope this poor guy gets off easy. Sam

What if someone developed a car that could run on water? What then? You cannot tax water yet.....

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Ted H

You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas.
-Davy Crockett

"N.C. Department of Revenue officials noticed Teixeira last month near Lowe's Motor Speedway while they were checking fuel tanks of diesel RVs for illegal fuel. The bumper sticker on his car that reads "Powered by 100% vegetable oil" grabbed their attention."

Well, they had to find something to justify the expense and hassling the NASCAR visitors coming here to spend money.

"If somebody was going to go to this much trouble to drive around in a car that uses soybean oil, they ought to be exempt" from state taxes, said state Sen. Stan Bingham, R-Davidson, who drives a diesel Volkswagen fueled by used soybean oil that sports a sign reading "Goodbye, OPEC."

I'll bet he has jumped through the state's hoops filling out non-existant forms and paying.

"My question is - how much veggie oil can I blend with regular diesel and not have it matter to my engine?? I would like to maybe run 20% raw used veggie oil and not have to modify anything on my 97 F-350 7.3 liter powerstroke and soon on my 2008 VW Jetta TDI. Running 20% FREE unbiodieseled veggie oil would cut my fuel cost by 20%. It also might take the place of the lubricity additive I am supposed to be adding due to the very low sulfur diesel."

This is my understanding of theory (and not particular engines here). Your problem will be more weather affecting the ratio. My friends in IN use a blend of 80/20 during winter and 20/80 during the hot summer months. As long as the percentage of vege oil in the mix isn't high enough to jel overnight then you should be fine.

On long trips they use straight diesel between when their tank runs down from home. More or less being willing to pay for the convenience of not carrying WVO with them. Back home they convert back to a mix.

Taxed yes, but not road use taxed. Vegetable oil had a tax paid on it wghen it was purchased but it wasn't the right tax. What NC did is going to become common especially with rising fuel taxes. This guy was just a bonus as they were most likely looking for people using "off road" dyed diesel fuel in their road vehicles since off road isn't road use taxed.

California was one state that proposed taxing road use by vehicles mileage driven instead of at the pump only. Since CA fuel is generally higher it would stop tax eveasion by people fueling out of state.

It's hard to believe but many of the road use taxes have been frozen and the line held for quite a few years. The costs of building/repairing roads is very high and the Fed gov't has cut back some on the highway funding, we've got a war you know. This is leading us to fuel taxes increasing and the hot topic of toll roads. Most every state is looking at placing tolls on their highways and some states have actually begun selling their highways to private foreign companies.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

"Most every state is looking at placing tolls on their highways and some states have actually begun selling their highways to private foreign companies."

What is essentially bad about toll roads? Most or all of the cost involved with them is passed onto the users thereof?

I don't recall talks of 'selling' roads. More long term leases in which the lease holder is responsble for all upkeep to state or federal standards.

By coincidence there is a story in today's The Tennessean about a possible toll road between Hendersonville and a Nashville main artery. Would have to cross the Cumberland River three times as the river loops around. Just the bridges would be horribly expensive, much less the roadway. Project is projected to cost $266.5M for 6.4 miles, or some $41.6M per mile. (I believe interstate highways cost something like $8-10M per mile.)

Roadway would primarily benefit area around (around Hendersonville) by saving them an extensive detour to get back and forth to Nashville. Should all of the state of TN pay for a road which will predominately benefit one community?

One problem is TDOT historically doesn't borrow money for road work. It is funded annually out of current year revenue. In this case they would have to obtain monies via bond, to be repaid via future tolls. At that cost per mile I don't see any private enterprise being willing to take on the project.

Research Indiana Toll road for the sale of public roads, there are others in the works. Toll plazas aren't exactly eco friendly fuel efficient places.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Toll_Road

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

I live in NC and am pretty fed up with our road tax system. Bought my truck and had to pay $800+ road usage tax. I haven't even used the vehicle yet. NC's gas tax is not a fixed tax either. It is based on the wholesale price multiplied by a percentage. Higher gas prices equals more tax added to the price. Bought an RV, that was another $895 dollars road tax just for titleling it in my name. I too want to know where the money is going.

This road tax is also a percentage, so as car prices go up so does the tax you pay. They don't have to raise tax rates to increase revenue in NC, inflation does it for them.

Sheesh!

I will be quiet when I convert my diesel!

that's what I was thinking, convert to veggie fuel and put a "350" sticker on the fender.

You think those taxes are bad, it is only going to get worse. Read the other day, tax on a new vehicle will probably be taking a drastic jump. Bills are in both houses from what I understand.

In addition, the state doesn't want to look at the real problem we are having trouble with roads. Rampant, unchecked development statewide. But hey, more people means more taxes and unmitigated greed on the part of our fine democratic leadership for the past 50 years is why we are where we are now.

Kendall

"We're not here to hurt the small guy, we're just trying to make sure that the playing field is level.

N.C. Department of Revenue officials noticed Teixeira last month near Lowe's Motor Speedway while they were checking fuel tanks of diesel RVs for illegal fuel. The bumper sticker on his car that reads "Powered by 100% vegetable oil" grabbed their attention."




Shame on him for not paying taxes twice for the privilege on traveling on the "Kings Highway"

Wonder what % of funds actually go into road repair compared to padding the politician’s pocket.

Note to self... Don't bring attention to yourself for trying to break the bonds of slavery from the big oil companies who by a freak of nature do the padding of the politician’s pocket.

"Let see we've got 12 million illegals breaking the law, a drug dealer over there selling crack, and some gang banger robbing an old lady... Naw lets go after the guy trying to make a difference on dependency of foreign oil."

What a joke!

GR

PA Gov Ed Rendell wanted to sell the PA turnpike to a foreign Co. but I think that idea has been squashed... for now. I don't want China (or anyone else) owning the whole country.

Ahhh, much the same thing happened with the Japanese in the 80s. Their over-inflated stock market made companies cash rich so them went on a buying spree in the U.S. I suspect almost all of what they purchased has either gone out of business or been sold to someone else.

My concern with turning the roadways over to another party for their upkeep via tolls (which would have a profit built into them) is much like Asian buyers of motels who tend to be remiss on maintenance and improvements until they go out of business from a loss of customers - then move onto another motel. If they are going to charge tolls then I think the state ought to keep the responsibility.

Fortunately I'm in TN which is usually rated as having the best roadways in the U.S. according to long-haul trucker surveys.

And everyone knows truckers have rated PA roads dead last.

I agree that we have good roads but... I also notice, since I'm a truck driver, that this year TN isn't fixing the bad parts of the interstate. All of the money is being spent on the big road project in Knoxville I-40. I now see TN interstates being patched crudely instead of resurcfaced as in the past.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

What a stupid comment. There are weigh scales everywhere, and the fines for being overloaded are enormous. You clearly know nothing about the topic you are speaking to.

A truck can have 10 axles under it, 9 can come in underweight, with 1 axle overweight and the driver ends up with a significant fine. 99 percent or better of people running overweight are local operators making short trips, who likely don't realize they are SLIGHTLY overweight on one or two axles. Anyone moving freight any significant distance weighs every axle and distributes the weight accordingly. This is because they KNOW that they will likely be weighed by the boys with the ticket books a half dozen times or more before they reach their destination.

Don't speak stupid.

Pete

Got a bit long winded, but it happens.

Those that use the roads should provide some support to the upkeep of those roads. As to an even way to do this? Who knows...Most even ways I can think up are so complicated and time intensive, on a state scale, that I'm surpised the govt hasn't already started using them by example the IRS tax process.

Not sure if the weight of a vehicle really makes a difference to the damage until you get a fair amount of weight and say dual tires. As an example I have a ford ranger with a 3L V6 engine that gets on average of 19-23 mpg. Compare that to say a toyota prius that gets say 50-60 mpg. Weight wise the ranger I'm sure does weigh more than the toyota prius, but is it enough to produce 2X to 3X as much damge. I think not. Also how many of us buy road use fuel for our lawn mowers? I know I do and while round ere I do seem some drive their riding mowers in for a quick fill most of us are not that close to filler up. Where is my taxe break option for yard use fuel?

This seems more like the petro companies trying to make it harder to use fuels other than theirs. The state governments need to come up to this day and age finding another way to fund road maintenance and improvements. I think the taxing should not be on the fuel, which we use for more than just the road, to say lisecening and registration taxes and mileage. They already tax you there based on business and personal use so why not road use? They could ask you if it is strictly farm use or main road use and such. My ideas are not the best or even good, but they need to change what's in place as it isn't even close to fair to the drivers.

good point about the home use of taxed fuels. i spend a few bucks in taxes each month to mow my grass, cut fire wood, shred my tree waste and till the garden when the tiller is running. on the other side of the coin, many folks commute through many states to work or on vacation. some may not stop for fuel, but some do. they should be paying their fair share too. we could make all roads toll roads, but much of the funds would be lost in beauracracy by building the toll booths and staffing them.

there is no easy answer.

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