How much is toll overbilling cutting into your profit margins? Unfortunately, this issue is more common than most fleet managers realize. When errors slip through, they are often unnoticed because the office staff and drivers aren’t paying close enough attention when the toll invoices arrive (after the trips are complete).
If you don’t have a solid verification process in place, then it’s likely that you are paying for fleet toll charges that can’t be confirmed with the actual trips. One effective solution to consider is using a GPS toll verification system to match the toll charges with the location of each vehicle, making it easier to identify potential issues that pop up.
What GPS Toll Verification Technology Is
The GPS toll verification technology is simple: these systems compare the actual vehicle movement with the toll charges that are coming through. The purpose of this type of system is to make sure that the vehicle was actually travelling through the toll location and that the charges match the type of vehicle.
While manual audits can be used to identify these mistakes, it’s easier to save a lot of work in the office by having a digital system that runs continuously. This automated solution is always cross-referencing the toll charges and vehicle trips so that potential discrepancies can be flagged and corrected.
GPS Toll Verification vs. Traditional Toll Auditing
Traditionally, toll verification for fleets was done by support staff in the office. Invoices come through, and the team compares these transactions with the transponder data. While this process is a good place to start, certain information is missing that could have an impact on the efficacy of the manual reconciliation and audit.
Adding GPS verification is another layer of tracking that improves the overall quality of your data, and you can have independent route confirmation.
The biggest difference between the traditional vs. GPS method for toll verification is that manual auditing is reactive, while GPS verification is a proactive approach. Using GPS data allows you to stay ahead of the curve so that payment errors can be easily identified through the automated system.
Why Toll Overbilling Happens in Fleet Operations
Understanding why toll overbilling happens is the first step to preventing these unnecessary charges in the future. Here are some of the most common reasons why fleet toll overbilling occurs:
- Incorrect charges come through because the transponder misreads the toll checkpoint.
- The system double-bills a single pass through the toll location.
- A vehicle is misclassified and charged higher toll rates.
- Tolls are assigned to the wrong vehicles because of errors with the license plate recognition system.
- Different billing rules are used by different toll agencies.
How GPS Toll Verification Works Step by Step
The process of using GPS toll verification has been streamlined through technology, making it easier than ever to catch and correct any potential issues. Here’s how the overall process works to ensure accurate billing and transactions are coming through:
- When the vehicle is on the road, GPS trip data is constantly being transmitted to a centralized data tool.
- The vehicle’s routes are matched to all of the toll points that will be crossed during the trip.
- Toll invoices come through digitally and are cross-checked against the GPS-confirmed travel.
- If there are mismatches, the system flags these transactions.
A reliable GPS toll verification system can flag every issue from mismatched transactions to overcharges, missing tolls, and more. It’s just as important to identify the missing tolls as it is to fix the overcharges, because correcting the missing tolls will help you avoid related fines and penalties.
How GPS Toll Verification Prevents Overbilling
Since there is always confirmation about where the vehicles actually traveled, GPS toll verification helps you avoid overpaying for the tolls. The system flags anything that is unusual based on the vehicle’s trip and classification, including duplicate toll transactions or inflated costs compared to the expected toll fees.
This evidence-based approach is a way to verify toll charges with GPS automatically and can help you save money in the long run. Also, if you need to file any toll disputes, you can use data-backed information to correct the problems.
Key Benefits for Fleet Managers
Not only does automated toll charge verification save money, but you can also prevent unnecessary staff time on these administrative tasks. The more you learn about these toll verification systems, the easier it is to see why it makes sense for every fleet to implement this technology. Here are some of the benefits that you can expect:
- Improved accuracy for your toll expenses, making it easier to manage your budget and profit margins.
- Eliminating any toll errors can reduce unnecessary spending, which decreases your cost per mile.
- Documented proof about the trips with GPS verification means faster dispute resolution.
- You have clear visibility of the money that is being spent for each route and vehicle.
- Administrative work decreases because automation handles this process instead.
- An automated GPS toll verification system can be scaled across hundreds or even thousands of vehicles.
- Overall, GPS verification reduces the cost and friction of handling these transactions.
FAQs
Does GPS toll verification replace transponders?
No, GPS toll verification is an independent way to verify toll charges, but it doesn’t replace the transponder requirements.
Is GPS toll verification compliant with toll authorities?
The data from GPS toll verification can be helpful for supporting your disputes with evidence-backed data. But this system does not change the toll authority payment rules.
How to Choose the Right GPS Toll Verification Solution
As technology advancements improve, there are a variety of options that you might use for fleet management and toll verification. Our team at Innovative Toll Solutions offers cutting-edge systems that are designed to improve your systems in the most effective way possible.
When you are choosing a GPS toll verification solution, make sure that it offers strong GPS accuracy and complete coverage of the toll network on your routes. Also, you need a system with clear reporting and easy integration with your other fleet management tools
Innovative Toll Solutions is always here to help with your fleet’s toll management. Contact us today to discuss your needs and learn more.