Hartford, Vt., has proposed an unusual solution to the problem of trucks damaging local roads: Charge truckers for driving on them.

According to published reports, Hartford would become the first municipality to charge maintenance fees for commercial trucks using its roads. The fee would be calculated by the weight of the truck and the number of axles. A dump truck weighing less than 69,000 pounds would have to pay $150 a year. The maximum a company would have to pay for a fleet would be $1,000 a year.
Currently, companies pay no more than $10 a year in permit fees to drive their trucks on town roads.
Local truckers say the cost will have to be passed on to consumers, and accuse town officials of twisting the numbers to blame trucks for road wear.