Ohio Supreme Court Rejects Local Income Tax on Trucking
Motor carriers operating in Ohio can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to taxes following a March 19 ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Motor carriers operating in Ohio can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to taxes following a March 19 ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court.
It upheld a state law preventing local governments from taxing the income of motor carriers.
In the case, the Village of Seville had been assessing a local income tax on the trucking fleet Panther II Transportation. Panther challenged Seville’s tax, arguing that a different Ohio statute preempted local taxation of motor carriers. When lower courts held in favor of Panther, Seville asked the Ohio Supreme Court to allow its income tax assessments.
Had the ruling been in favor of Seville it would have opened the door for all Ohio municipalities to tax motor carriers, according to the Ohio Trucking Association.
Seville’s interpretation is that motor carriers could have been required to file and pay taxes to the approximately 600 municipalities that impose income taxes. With each municipality’s ability to define “income” its own way, the burden on motor carriers would have been astounding, said OTA.
Among those filing briefs supporting Panther were Con-Way Freight, UPS and OTA.
More Fleet Management
For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.
Read More →
Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.
Read More →
Deen Albert: Let Automation Do the Math, People Make the Decisions
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Deen Albert makes sure people are still at the heart of operations at Grand Island Express, even while adopting artificial intelligence tools. AI-assisted dispatch helped boost revenue 25% with the same number of trucks.
Read More →
Trimble’s New AI Agent Takes Aim at Fleet Back-Office Busywork
Arc Agent works across Trimble TMS products to automate repetitive tasks such as freight orders, maintenance, invoices, fuel costs and more.
Read More →
How HDT’s 2026 Truck Fleet Innovators Are Rethinking Fleet Operations
Meet five trucking leaders who are challenging assumptions, solving operational problems, and putting innovative ideas to work.
Read More →
Tight Trucking Capacity Pushes Rates Higher Even as Freight Volumes Fall
“Spot rates moving ahead of contract rates have historically signaled a tightening market, but we haven’t seen a capacity-driven market quite like this one,” said DAT's Dean Croke.
Read More →
Import Cargo’s Early Peak Season is Winding Down
There was an early start to peak season this year at the nation's gateway ports, as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of tariff changes in late July and responded to other supply chain uncertainties,
Read More →
Fewer Cargo Thefts, Bigger Losses: Criminals Target Higher-Value Loads
CargoNet says organized theft rings are stealing fewer shipments but choosing more valuable freight, including metals and technology, resulting in record losses.
Read More →
How Innovative Trucking Leaders Turn Change Into an Advantage
As the pace of change accelerates in trucking, the fleets that adapt best have more than the latest technology. They have cultures that embrace improvement.
Read More →
Freight Broker Bonds Just Got Harder to Get. Here's What That Means for Your Fleet.
When it gets harder for a freight broker to prove they are financially sound, the ones who cannot clear that bar get pushed out of the market. And those are exactly the brokers who used to leave motor carriers holding the bag.
Read More →