While toll roads can be helpful in the trucking industry, there are also complex issues that can arise – sometimes resulting in unnecessary fees and delays. The reality is that toll roads can be a great resource when you are using them correctly. But these toll roads can also be a significant hurdle when fleet managers are making mistakes.
The good news is that fleet toll management systems are available to streamline your processes, optimize routes, and help you save money overall. In this article, we are taking a look at some of the top challenges in fleet toll management and how the right system can help you overcome these common issues.
Common Toll Management Challenges for Interstate Trucking
There’s no question that toll roads can be beneficial when they are used correctly. But you need to be strategic about toll management to avoid some of the costly mistakes that can impact your profit margins.
Some of the most common challenges include:
- Hidden Costs: Each toll fee can seem relatively low. But when you have a lot of trucks on the road and toll payments coming through every day, these costs can start to add up. The longer the distances your trucks are driving and the more vehicles you have on the road, the higher the toll costs. Luckily, there are options to tap into discounts, giving you solutions for toll cost optimization.
- Toll Compliance: If mistakes are made with payments or when drivers are passing through the toll booth, then compliance issues might result in unexpected fees. Any time a payment is missed or made incorrectly; it can cost your company money. Part of your fleet management strategy must focus on strategies to avoid these toll violation fees so they don’t cut into your profits.
- Administrative Burden: Office staff often spend a lot of time managing expenses, invoices, toll data analysis, and more. Not only are they dealing with paperwork, but there are other responsibilities such as toll reconciliation to ensure that nothing is overlooked. These administrative responsibilities cost both time and money.
- Profitability Impact: The reality is that fleet toll management can have a positive impact on your profitability. Without a good system, toll fees and unexpected expenses can add up and reduce the amount of money leftover at the end of the month. It’s important to use the right systems and strategies to minimize the impact tolling expenses have on your profitability.
Overcoming Fleet Management Challenges
Just because there are challenges in the tolling industry, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will have a negative impact on your fleet. The right toll system integration with your software and strategy allows you to leverage tolling to optimize routes and improve results overall.
The most important thing you can do is get the right system in place. Once you have a trusted fleet toll management system, then everything can run on autopilot, with your team members reviewing the data and making adjustments as needed.
First, make sure you are using the right toll system integration through software solutions. These specialized platforms are designed to consolidate all of your toll data into one simple location. Additionally, it’s possible to generate reports and automate payments, helping to reduce the risk of expensive late fees in the future.
Make sure you have electronic transponders in every vehicle. This technology allows drivers to pass through the checkpoints without needing to stop to make a toll payment. So, you can automate the toll billing process through a streamlined system.
Route optimization is another thing that should be considered to avoid the loss of time and money. Most fleet toll management systems have route optimization solutions in place, allowing you to choose the most efficient and affordable way to get your trucks from point A to point B. Toll reporting can show you how much money is being spent on toll fees, as well as how much you can save on fuel costs by using these routes. Then, you can make the best decisions based on your fleet’s needs.
The more you improve your fleet operations, the easier it becomes to improve your service, support your customers, and ensure a successful, timely delivery with each truck.
Driver Training: A Proactive Approach to Avoid Toll Violations
The reality is that toll payments often make sense because these options can reduce the amount of time your drivers are on the roads. But one common mistake is if a fleet manager only looks at the cost of the fee without evaluating unexpected expenses such as violations and late payment charges.
You want effective transportation management, which means that you need to ensure everything is being handled correctly in order to minimize the risk of these avoidable violations.
Make sure that your drivers are well-trained in the best practices when passing through the toll booths. Driver education should focus on toll procedures, correct transponder usage, and how issues should be reported if anything happens.
Each vehicle needs to be maintained to avoid potential fees or hidden expenses. For example, the transponder needs to work properly and be registered with the specific vehicle. Also, the vehicle’s license plates need to be clearly visible so the automated camera systems can verify the truck that is passing through.
FAQ
How to reduce fleet toll costs?
One of the simplest solutions for reducing toll fees is by leveraging group discounts available from a fleet toll management provider.
What are the challenges of managing toll expenses?
There can be a lot of administrative work, especially if you don’t have automated toll management software. For example, staff members need to oversee toll reporting and toll audits, as well as route optimization and more.
What are the toll management software benefits?
There are undeniable benefits from using toll management software, such as reduced costs, saving time, improved data, and better route optimizations.
What is the best toll audit and reconciliation process?
There’s no need to handle reconciliations manually. Use proven software with automated analysis features to view reports and data.
Talk to the Toll Strategy Experts
What questions do you have about fleet toll management? Innovative Toll Solutions is here to assist with anything that you need. Contact us at your convenience to discuss the possible solutions for your fleet.