As a fleet manager, it is a never-ending task to keep operations running smoothly while also reducing overall costs. One element that requires too much time and effort is managing toll violations, especially since these fees can quickly add up – resulting in unnecessary expenses.
Even when tasks seem simple, they can cut into productivity. Not only does toll management require overhead expenses for the fleet managers who are taking care of these notices, but the cost of the tolls and late fees can stack up over time.
If you are in the trucking industry, then one of the most important things you can do for fleet management is to have a system in place for managing tolls effectively.
The Impact of Toll Violations on Fleet Costs
How many vehicles are in your fleet? A single toll violation doesn’t seem like a big deal. But if every driver has one (or multiple) toll violations, then it quickly turns into an administrative nightmare. In addition to the fines that are coming through for the toll violations, there are often additional costs for late fees and more.
One of the challenges of managing toll violations is that it’s easy to miss the mailed notifications about a toll violation. If the notice gets lost in the stack of paperwork on your desk, then you have even more things to take care of: disputing the violation, paying the fees, and preventing toll violations in the future.
It takes time to handle all of these tasks, which affects your ability to manage other daily responsibilities. It’s challenging to calculate the real cost of managing toll violations when you consider lost productivity for other office tasks.
Even though a toll payment is relatively small, the overall expenses can be doubled or even tripled if late fees and violations are added to the payment. If a mistake is made when the driver goes through the toll, then it can be costly – especially when these issues recur over and over again.
Tips for Preventing Toll Violations
Ultimately, the most effective solution for managing toll violations is to prevent them from happening in the first place. You need to understand why these fees are coming through and what you can do to avoid them going forward. Here are a few tips to help:
Tip #1: Driver Training
If drivers are making mistakes when passing through tolls, then the whole fleet suffers with fines and higher expenses. For example, drivers might use the wrong toll lanes, causing violations to come through that increase the cost of that toll passing. Another example is if a driver enters an express lane improperly.
Every driver must understand and comply with the rules of each toll facility. So, if you are seeing multiple toll violations coming through, then it’s an indication that you might need to implement a better training program for your drivers.
Pay attention to which drivers are getting fined often. Then, provide additional training and support so the drivers understand the preventive steps that need to be followed. The better your drivers are trained, the more the fleet can avoid toll violations. So, if you are noticing a pattern, take the responsibility for improving your training processes to ensure that drivers are prepared going forward.
Tip #2: Timely Payments
When payments are missed, then the fines start to stack up. Your office staff and fleet managers are responsible for timely payments. So, if you start to receive late fees consistently, then it’s time to look at in-office systems and staff training.
Consider this: if a toll payment is delayed, then a late fee will be added to the invoice, and you will receive a new notice in the mail. This happens too often. For example, the first invoice might arrive and get lost in a stack of paperwork. Or, you might see the invoice and think that you’ll get to it later, then forget to follow up because you are too busy with other office responsibilities.
Keeping up with toll payments for a large fleet requires a lot of time and effort. You need a team member who can dedicate their attention to managing and paying these tolls. Timely payments are critical so that you can avoid the follow-up notifications with a late fee attached.
Tip #3: Fleet Compliance and Registration
You will receive a toll violation if a toll lane is accessed using a vehicle that isn’t registered on the toll pass being used. Each vehicle must be registered to the corresponding transponder inside the truck. This small compliance detail matters – you can’t move transponders from one truck to another without adjusting the registration information.
So, pay attention to the placement of the transponders and make sure that all of the registrations are lining up. Consider using a system to track which transponders are being used in which vehicles. Then, have regular check-ins to ensure that the transponders are still in place and registered with each vehicle.
Tip #4: Working Transponders
Just because a transponder is in the vehicle, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have any toll violations or fines. One potential problem is that the transponder is deactivated. The drivers need to check the transponders to ensure that everything is activated and ready to go.
Also, consider the type of transponder to make sure it is the right kind for the toll facility. For example, you might be dealing with toll violations if a truck goes through an out-of-state toll using an in-state transponder.
Tip #5: Sufficient Funds in the Account
Another tip for avoiding toll violations is to make sure there are sufficient funds in the transponder account. When a truck goes through a toll lane, there needs to be enough money to pay for the fees that are incurred.
When there aren’t sufficient funds, then your fleet manager will receive a notification that the toll needs to be paid. It’s likely that the notification will also come with a late fee or other violation charges.
FAQ
How Can We Be Using Technology to Reduce Toll Violations?
Integrating a fleet compliance and management system with toll payment automation is the best solution to avoid these issues. The technology centralizes all toll payments and processing, helping to alleviate the paperwork and time requirements.
What is the Future of Toll Compliance for Fleets?
Technology is continuing to be more and more important in the transportation industry. Some of the best practices for toll compliance involve the use of integrated technology to help with logistics, fleet management, and more.
Learn More About Most Effective Toll Management Systems
Our team at Innovative Toll Solutions has proven strategies for managing your fleet and reducing toll violations at the same time. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.