Many fleet managers agree that toll violations are an administrative nightmare. Not only do they require administrative attention to resolve the violations, but the unnecessary fees cut into your budget and make it harder to protect profit margins.
The reality is that most of the time, toll violations are usually caused by something other than intentional nonpayment. For example, delayed billing, missed invoices, or mismatched data cause a hiccup in the payment processing, resulting in violations that can easily slip through the cracks. If a fleet discovers the toll violation weeks or months after the toll event, then the fees have multiplied by that point.
At Innovative Toll Solutions, we’ve designed a solution to automate your tolling systems and eliminate the complications relating to toll violations. The TollPal app prevents the chain reaction and helps you avoid unnecessary expenses in the future.
What Really Happens When a Toll Violation Comes Through?
Every tolling authority has its own processes and timelines for sending invoices and managing violations. There are various points where problems can occur with notices and payment processing, which can lead to unexpected violations and associated penalties.
In most cases, toll violations happen because of a process failure within the fleet. Some of the most common reasons why toll violations occur include:
- Delayed billing
- Mismatched data
- Missed notices
- Outdated addresses
- Shared inboxes
These issues can cause toll payments and violation management to slip through the cracks, resulting in a situation where the administrative team is reacting to the violations instead of preventing them.
The Real Cost of Toll Violations
Not only does the fine from a violation cut into your budget, but there is often a domino effect of additional costs that cut into your profit margins. For example, the initial toll amount is small, but if penalties are added, then the costs increase quickly. The fees really start adding up:
- Late fees
- Administrative fees
- Compounded penalties
Plus, you also need to consider the additional cost of admin time when in-office team members are researching and disputing the violations. In many cases, fleet management and finance teams lose many hours trying to make sense of the charges and resolve everything to avoid additional expenses in the future.
Managing Toll Violations Manually Is Unsustainable
Consider how much time and effort go into a manual, in-office system for toll management and handling violations. When the mail comes through, it needs to be opened and logged. Then, the next steps can be complicated because each toll agency requires a different dispute process for handling the violations.
Office team members spend a lot of time gathering the supporting documentation and making sense of the charges. This process becomes even more frustrating if deadlines are missed, because it results in higher expenses and even an invalidation of the dispute.
Continuing with a manual workflow means that your team is on track for eventual burnout. Plus, mistakes are much bigger because of the risk of errors that occur along the way.
The TollPall App Prevents Violations and Avoids Escalation
Ultimately, the goal is to save both time and money by avoiding violations in the first place, while also having an effective system in place to handle any violations that slip through. Here are some of the ways that TollPal makes this process easier:
- Avoiding Missed Payments: A centralized tolling system increases the likelihood of payments going through successfully, which helps to reduce the likelihood of missed payments and resulting violations.
- Earlier Notifications: TollPal makes it easier to see the toll charges earlier so that violations can be handled as quickly as possible (helping to reduce the likelihood of additional fees and penalties).
- Handling Violations Quickly: This process allows the fleet managers to know what is going on and take care of the payments before violations are added to the tolls.
- Eliminating Misapplied Charges: TollPal makes it easier to manage vehicle-level data, which helps you avoid issues relating to misapplied charges.
The ultimate benefit of TollPal is that your team moves into a prevention strategy instead of always getting stuck in a reactive approach. The default workflow and system automations stay ahead of the toll payments and violations, keeping everything more organized and streamlined from start to finish.
The Financial Benefits That Add Up Over Time
Is TollPal worth the cost? When you look at the financial benefits of this system, it’s easy to see how TollPall is a great investment for your fleet. The savings really add up over time:
- Fewer Violations: Since there is a lower risk of missed payments and associated violations, you are spending less money on penalties.
- Reduced Admin Hours: Free up your internal resources so that team members can spend the time on other activities instead of manual toll tracking and management.
- Cleaner Records and Reports: Budgeting and forecasting become much easier when you have confidence in the reporting quality. This centralized system helps to save money by improving decisions and route planning in the future.
When you look at the numbers, you will see that TollPal offers a cost control solution that doesn’t require a bigger headcount on the team. Automations streamline the processes so that your current team members are more effective in their jobs.
FAQ
How does TollPal help to reduce toll violations?
Since tolling activity is more visible through TollPal, it’s easier to address issues before they escalate into violations.
Does TollPal eliminate manual violation tracking?
The automated features in TollPal have a significant impact on reducing manual violations tracking and management. Toll data is centralized, which means that your team doesn’t have to waste time sorting through information from multiple sources.
How does TollPal help with toll charge disputes?
When the toll records are centralized and organized, it’s easier and faster to submit the disputes. You have clear information, which helps to reduce the back-and-forth interactions with toll authorities.
Expert Tolling Solutions Through TollPal
If you are ready to upgrade your toll management and streamline your systems, then TollPal is the perfect place to start. Contact us at Innovative Toll Solutions to learn more about the ways you can handle toll payments, avoid violations, and protect your bottom line.