It’s about time someone stands up for the great men and women who drive the trucks that deliver everything we need to live, work and prosper. Truckers have been the life blood of our economy for a long time. Whether Teamsters or independents, they take the risk every day on New Jersey roads and push their own physical limits to stay away, alert and arrive safely and on time.

Truckers have one of the least-appreciated occupations in our state. Many four-wheelers have no understanding about how difficult it is to handle a rig. Stopping time, stress of deadlines and fatigue all factor in to make for a difficult day and night for truckers. Let’s face it, most people hate their commute. But they get the break of their job in between drives. For truckers, that crappy commute IS the job. And how do truckers get rewarded by Trenton politicians and bureaucrats? Increased tolls on a road that they really can’t avoid and higher fuel costs.

Taxes and tolls all designed to make up for the over-spending and corruption in Trenton government. We need a governor in New Jersey who understands this critical component of our economic infrastructure. A governor who works hard to reduce the cost of commuting and trucking in our state. A governor who understands that bloated bureaucracies like the Turnpike Authority should be dissolved.

Roadways should be monetized to reduce costs, increase efficiency and create an economic engine instead of a black hole where your money pours in endlessly with almost no benefit to the actual users of the roadway. One great example is the long term positive impact of what Indiana did with their toll road in 2006. They sold it. A few billion dollars to the government coffers in exchange for decades of toll revenue to the investors. Here’s how that translates for drivers and taxpayers…actually, I’ll just let the pull quote from a local Chamber of Commerce published in the South Bend Tribune speak for itself:

 It’s time to appreciate what’s going on with the Indiana Toll Road. A major $300 million reconstruction project is mostly finished, using a local company. It will be completed ahead of schedule, below budget and at no cost to taxpayers. - Kyle Hannon Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce

Read it again. Reconstruction mostly completed, under budget, ahead of schedule AT NO COST TO TAXPAYERS. We simply need a governor in Trenton to use the vast power that we’ve seen corrupt Phil Murphy exercise, but this time on behalf of the people who make our state great. If we have a governor who speaks for the truckers then we have a governor who speaks for middle and working class families.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own. Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015.

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