Trucking advocates defend tax incentives

Tuesday, January 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Trucking industry advocates are criticizing a proposal to increase the state's ten dollar excise tax on trucks. George Tomek is executive director of the Oklahoma Trucking Association. Tomek says the for-hire motor carrier industry in Oklahoma has grown by 47 percent since 1989. He says that's the highest percentage in the nation and seven times the national average.

Tomek attributes the increase to the array of economic incentives offered by Oklahoma to the trucking industry. Tomek says an operator of an average five-axle tractor-trailer paid more than $8, 600 in state and federal highway user and sales taxes in 1999. Of that, he says almost $3,000 went directly to Oklahoma.