Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/978209
Maximum Tolling and Plate Read Tolling Can Cost You Big Bucks In general, maximum tolling means that there was a failure to read the transponder, either at the point of entry to a toll road or at the point of exit, leading to a maximum- toll charge. This can be very expensive. For example, in Florida a maximum toll can run $64. Pennsylvania, more than $110. In New York, the charge can be in excess of $114. You can dispute these charges; however, be aware that it can take several months to receive a credit on your statement. Also, some of the agencies just apply a credit and do not provide additional detail. This makes it very difficult to keep track of which disputes you have been reimbursed for. Plate-read tolling is very similar to maximum tolls. In this case, the transponder doesn't work or can't be read. For instance, ice may have built up on the truck or on the transponder reader at a toll booth, interfering with the transponder signal. The tolling agency may then take a picture of your license plate and send a bill in the mail. Many agencies allow you to set up your license plate in an account and pay tolls this way without a transponder. However, license plate tolls in most states are much more expensive than transponder-read tolls, because the agency has to conduct extra research to determine the plate owner in order to send the bills. Have someone on your team carefully review bills to identify maximum-toll or plate-read charges. PrePass Plus customers have the option of contacting the PrePass support team, who can handle this on your behalf at no extra charge. No matter who is handling this task, remember that timing is very crucial, so don't wait too long to file disputes. But the bottom line is that these charges can be disputed, and they can effectively be managed. Peak Tolling Means Peak Toll Rates Some tolling agencies now have dynamic tolling in place. This means that based on the level of traffic congestion, the toll pricing increases — sometimes 50% to 75% more — compared to off-peak times. The way to avoid dynamic tolling charges is to know what those peak times are in each location and try to keep your drivers off those specific roads during the rush hour times. The good news is you can go online and look at the tolling agencies' websites. Agencies with peak time tolling generally publish when their peak times are. Make sure your dispatch operation is aware of this information. Drivers must also know what roads they need avoid to make sure your vehicles are not in a situation where they could incur dynamic tolling. Guard Against Transponder Abuse and Fraud Recently, PrePass has become aware of increased instances of transponder abuse and fraud. Transponders are much like open credit cards. If they are lost or stolen, but not reported, someone can use them while racking up big bills. There have been cases where drivers have taken transponders out of the trucks and used them in their personal vehicle during their off time. In other cases, drivers who have left a company have been known to take transponders with them for personal use. Making this more tempting is the fact that transponders today are being used for transactions beyond paying tolls. For example, transponders can be used to pay for meals at fast-food restaurants that are part of an E-ZPass toll facility. Transponders can be used for parking at airports such as Orlando, Florida, or LaGuardia in New York City. So how do you spot such charges? In the E-ZPass network, if you see the charge class of SVC, that generally means a service charge, not a direct toll. Also, if food is purchased in the E-ZPass network, it comes through as an E-ZPass Plus charge. When you have inventory of transponders onsite at your terminals so you are able to swap them out for different trucks in your fleet, make sure they're secured and accounted for. Also, make sure that you're monitoring your bills on a regular basis so that no unassigned transponders are showing up. Other ways you can reduce transponder abuse and fraud: • Maintain a low inventory of unassigned devices. • Monitor invoices for potential tolls at unauthorized routes, which would help you to identify if a truck is being used in a way that you've not authorized. • Look for off-hour toll charges. This may indicate unauthorized use. • Immediately report all lost or stolen transponders, because you want to cut that line of credit off as soon as possible. 3 4 5 While developing a strategic plan to combat the problem of increasing toll costs may seem like a daunting task, there is a solution to help you address many, if not all, of the problem areas outlined in this article. INFORM Tolling from PrePass allows you to easily find out exactly how much you're spending on toll payments, manage violations, prevent fraud and more. INFORM Tolling is a data visualization interface and is a component of the PrePass Plus ® electronic toll payment service. INFORM Tolling offers more than just a snapshot of toll invoices and violations. It monitors daily tolling activity and can send immediate notifications if transponders are being used improperly. INFORM Tolling is not only a tool to find potential misuse of toll transponders, but it helps you keep track of your tolling and pull this data into customized, downloadable reports. And if there are disputes about toll charges, PrePass does the work for you after you have uploaded the charge information to the INFORM data suite. Not only can you see the status of those violations, but you can track if they have been paid or credited. Best of all, there is no extra charge for using INFORM Tolling for PrePass Plus customers — and you've got actionable data at your fingertips. How INFORM Tolling Can Help Reduce Toll Costs Learn more and download the full white paper. Call (877) 839-6830 or visit prepass.com/overdrive-tolling