Toll roads are becoming more expensive and are expanding in terms of miles, with many different state authorities setting tolls, leaving owner-operators to sort through a patchwork of options for toll collections. A five-axle truck running the Pennsylvania Turnpike on I-76 East can rack up a $212 toll by the time it exits the state near Scranton on I-81, without stopping once, and if the bill isn’t paid in 30 days, add another $5 on top of that.
State-collected toll fees and fuel taxes account for about 37% of all funding for highway and road spending. With so many toll authorities setting tolls, owner-operators are left to sort through a patchwork of options for toll collections, with plenty of regional and some national options.
However, services like BestPass and PrePass offer centralized platforms and provide summaries of recent toll transactions and help spot mistakes. They can also provide a single bill rather than taking on a piecemeal approach. Additionally, if a toll gets double-billed, these companies will initiate the process to fix things for you.
In the past, some trucking companies tried to avoid toll roads. With the rise of fuel prices, do you think it is profitable to avoid tolls?
