Toll roads are a $5 billion annual challenge for U.S. trucking companies. Granted, they may offer quicker routes on the road, but in the office, they create administrative work that takes a toll on operational efficiency. If managing tolls is diverting your staff and office resources from more important dispatch and accounting functions, then it’s time to consider using a service that will save time and money while addressing your urgent needs.

Here’s how a toll management service can benefit motor carriers in two core areas:

  1. Dispatch and Operations
  • Plan Better Routes – For passenger cars, clicking the Google Maps button to avoid tolls is easy. Navigating 70 feet of truck and trailer was never so simple—until now. Motor carriers that use the PrePass Tolls service have access to INFORM™ Tolling software. Dispatchers can use this web portal to view data analytics and information that helps them optimize routes to minimize toll exposure without compromising on-time service. Plus, your operations team can access completed route information to provide driver coaching.
  • Tackle Multiple Transponders – 38 states have some kind of toll facilities. Most administrative toll agencies use their own transponders, which means adding more equipment inside an already cramped cab. The PrePass Tolls service uses one transponder to cover virtually all tolling states across the country.
  • Quit Using Cash – Some carriers continue to use cash for tolls. For a driver traveling the length of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, that means having at least $300 on hand. Stopping to get cash wastes drive time and creates a safety hazard whenever the truck leaves and reenters the highway. Plus, the driver must remember to keep and submit the toll receipts. PrePass Tolls ends these issues.
  • End Toll Repayments –Some tolls change based on the time of day and traffic congestion. Approving toll repayments for drivers takes time and special documentation, in addition to creating a cost burden for the driver. Toll management software that uses one consolidated transponder avoids all the extra legwork for drivers and dispatchers. No advances. No out-of-pocket payments. No guesswork.
  1. Accounting and Finance
  • Never Miss a Mistake – $13,000 in six months. That is how much one 1,600-truck fleet racked up in improperly assessed tolls. Every single dispute requires written documentation to the appropriate toll authority and creates a waiting game for a credit to appear. For carriers without the staff to catch these errors, the only option is to overpay and hope the margin on that route will cover the cost. Toll management providers like PrePass take on the dispute process from start to finish, ensuring every dollar gets back to where it belongs. Plus, the INFORM Tolling system sends alerts when fees exceed a pre-set threshold to catch maximum toll issues much quicker.
  • Pay One Invoice – Motor carriers running across the U.S. without a toll management provider likely pay many different invoices every month—one to each toll authority. That means validating every charge across each agency, all with different dispute procedures, and each requiring a monthly payment. The process also makes identifying tolls by load and charging back the customer incredibly complicated. Consolidating this work within the PrePass Tolls management platform means one invoice, one monthly payment, and one place to access all toll information.
  • Fight Fraud – Theft and toll scams come in all forms: fees racked up on stolen transponders; drivers using company money to pay tolls for personal trips; swapped license plates; and more. Each comes with a hefty price tag and potential violations. INFORM™ Tolling provides visibility to every load for office teams to quickly catch fraudulent acts and stop toll theft in its tracks.
  • Control Cash Better – A single, consolidated monthly invoice means carriers keep cash on hand longer versus paying for every toll in real-time and managing payables. Even better, motor carriers partnering with PrePass can qualify for volume discounts, lessening total fees. Simple system reporting tracks annual toll spending and cost savings. With motor carriers paying less, there is more money to fund business growth.

Pass the Work to PrePass

In transportation, time is money. The already high cost of toll roads is even greater when adding in the overhead for managing tolls. PrePass Tolls streamlines labor-intensive and error-prone processes inside the cab and at the office.

If inefficient toll management processes are slowing your business down, now is the best time to move into the express lane with PrePass. New subscribers can take advantage of our price match guarantee and a fee-free trial period to start using PrePass Tolls. Learn more here.