The national organization representing big and small trucking companies and its state affiliate are opposed to leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike or converting Interstate 80 into a toll road.

Instead, they'd prefer to see the Legislature raise the state's fuel taxes -- currently 32.2 cents on gasoline and 38.1 cents on diesel -- by 10 cents a gallon to generate more funds for transportation.

"A dime would mean $5.71 a month for the average person but about $123 a month for us" for every truck, said James Runk, president of the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, at a meeting yesterday with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board.

"That would [nevertheless] be a fair, equitable, responsible way to raise revenue, and everyone would contribute," he said, while acknowledging that any fuel tax increase would be a hard sell with lawmakers. "I'm willing to bet we couldn't get more than 10 of them to vote for it."

The cost differential between cars and trucks occurs because the average 18-wheeler's fuel tanks hold up to 250 gallons and it only gets five to seven miles a gallon.

Trucking is the fourth-largest industry in Pennsylvania, employing about 420,000 people directly or indirectly.

John Lynch, vice president/federation relations for the American Trucking Association, said every governor in the nation is watching what happens in Pennsylvania, which has a $12.8 billion bid from a private consortium to lease the turnpike for 75 years and a proposal for the turnpike commission to assume control and toll I-80.

"We're opposed to both plans," Mr. Lynch said, explaining how privatization of the Indiana Toll Road has already resulted in doubling tolls for truckers.

He said tolling I-80 would add $7.2 million a year in costs at just the largest of four Wal-Mart distribution centers in the state, which is in Clearfield County, as an example of how business will be affected.

Mr. Lynch said the overall proposal before the Federal Highway Administration does not appear to meet provisions of the law creating such pilot projects.

He also said a recent tolling proposal that would permit cars, motorcycles and small trucks equipped with E-ZPass to receive what amounts to a "free pass" at the first mainline toll barrier they encounter may violate Interstate Commerce Commission regulations because big trucks would not get the same benefit.

Besides raising the tax on gas and diesel fuels, the pair said the state should consider hiking the $36 annual motor registration fee, which has not changed since 1997 and is one of the lowest in the nation.

"What we're saying is there are alternatives that make all Pennsylvanians responsible for paying for our roads, not just a certain segment," Mr. Runk said. "But the people in Harrisburg need to make some tough decisions."