With the state on track to resume truck-only tolls in 2027, truckers in Rhode Island are unhappy with lawmakers over a plan to offset costs for local businesses.
Rhode Island launched its truck tolling program in 2018 to help fund bridge repairs and other infrastructure improvements. In September 2022, however, a U.S. District Court ruled the program unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, finding that it discriminated against interstate commerce by disproportionately burdening out-of-state trucking companies.
The state appealed, and in December 2024, a federal appeals court reversed that decision. The court concluded there was insufficient evidence that the tolling program placed out-of-state truckers at a “significant” competitive disadvantage, meaning it did not violate the Commerce Clause.
The ruling allowed Rhode Island to reinstate truck tolling, but with one key change: the state must eliminate the program’s daily toll caps. The appeals court determined those caps disproportionately benefited local trucking companies, making that aspect of the program unconstitutional.
With the state expected to resume tolling commercial vehicles in July 2027, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has been working to find a solution to the daily caps that would satisfy local trucking companies. The plan: to lower tolls by 25% for all trucks crossing the gantries.
The Rhode Island Trucking Association has been vocal in its opposition to the state resuming the truck-only tolls. In June 2025, the group called the program a “flawed and reckless scheme” and urged lawmakers to “nail the coffin shut” on the tolls.
Chris Maxwell, the group’s president, contends that the bulk of the burden will lie with local businesses and that a 25% reduction in tolls is not nearly enough.
“This is no longer just a trucking issue as 94% of the truck toll burden will be shouldered by R.I. businesses and consumers,” Maxwell said. “We seek a 100% reduction which is in the best interests of all Rhode Islanders – something the Governor has lost sight of.”
Despite the objections, the state is forging ahead with its plans to reinstate the tolls. Once upgrades to the toll gantries and billing systems are complete, RIDOT anticipates the tolls will be reactivated in July 2027. LL
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