- Install the Right Transponders:
Installing the right transponders in a vehicle is the best way to minimize the risk of violations, especially with the rise of cashless tolling across the United States, which has resulted in new challenges for commercial fleets, especially heavy toll facility users with a national footprint. Strategically managing transponder deployment across a fleet helps lessen the impact of higher toll rates, administrative fees, and delayed billing associated with toll by plate and violations transaction. If a fleet reallocates or rebills its toll fees as a standard business practice, then the delay created by violations can disrupt accounting and financial reporting, resulting in, at best, a delay in billing or, at worst, the inability to recoup the expense. with a transponder, transactions post as quickly as possible, typically between 24 and 72 hours.
- Pay Attention to License Plates:
If a fleet has deployed toll transponders on a national or regional level, maintaining up to date vehicle lists with all tolling authorities, including license plates, is essential to fully cover the fleet's vehicles when using tolled facilities. Any tolling authorities require transponders to be associated with vehicle plates when they are activated on the account, but this is not a universal practice.
Larger trucking fleets often have multiple trailers for every tractor, adding significantly to the complexity of tracking, processing, and paying toll transactions. Home tolling authorities will accept trailer license plates, but others will not. Since many gantries and other toll readers will capture the license plate at the rear of the vehicle, it is common for toll by plate transactions to be assessed based on the trailer rather than the tractor. For commercial carriers that rent or lease trailers it can be difficult for tolling authorities to identify who owns the license plate, and, therefore, who is responsible for the toll. This can result in additional accounting delays and cost, especially if the toll transaction is initially assessed to the trailer rental or leasing company and then reallocated to the lessor's fleet.
