N.J. Pike Discounts Fuel to Draw Truckers

Other states have attempted to offer toll discounts to get truckers off local roads and back on to the turnpikes, but starting in February the New Jersey Turnpike Authority will try something new — price breaks on diesel fuel.

Both the turnpike authority and its fuel retail operator, Sunoco, will give up a share of their revenue from diesel sales to make fuel prices on the turnpike competitive with those off the turnpike.

“It’s going to make the per-gallon price of diesel fuel as low as the lowest responsible retail off-turnpike charge,” said Edward Gross, the authority’s executive director. He said the authority will use a statewide survey of truck stops and gas stations to determine what price to charge for diesel along the entire turnpike.

Mr. Gross estimated the turnpike’s current diesel prices fall in the middle of the spectrum. “Our road goes across the entire state, so in some areas it’s extremely competitive and in other areas it’s not,” he said, “because we have one price for all our service areas.”

The discounting is expected to save truckers between 11 and 15 cents per gallon in purchases at Sunoco stations on the turnpike.

“The turnpike is committed to continue to create innovative and creative programs to attract more trucks to the road and off the local systems,” said Mr. Gross.

When truck tolls doubled in 1991, truckers fled the turnpike and began using the already heavily burdened state highways.

The New Jersey Motor Truck Association, a key upporter of the diesel discount plan, applauded the authority’s attempts to make amends with truck operators. “This is a very significant program for the industry,” said Sam Cunninghame, NJMTA executive director. “They’re trying to make it an advantage for the truck operator to use the turnpike to coax the trucks back that left in 1991.”

For the full story, see the Jan. 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.