TOLL TRANSPONDERS ACT JUST LIKE ACTIVE CREDIT CARDS – EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT BUT SUBJECT TO ABUSE AND FRAUD.


Carriers can dispute max tolls using data showing the vehicle’s actual entry and exit points. However, max toll charges may not appear on the toll invoice under the same date and time as carrier records show the truck combination traveling that route. Similarly, the tolling authority may assign a max toll charge to a license plate number because the transponder was not read. This requires the carrier to match the charge to a trailer plate. So, catching max tolls early is critical, as the trucking company will need time to gather the appropriate data to challenge the assessment.


Motor carriers must also make sure that each transponder matches the proper truck combination. Toll roads assess charges by the number of axles in a truck combination (some facilities also add a height component, while the E-ZPass network also looks at trailer length). That “vehicle class” rate shows on the toll invoice. If the motor carrier assigns a transponder as a 5-axle tractor-semi combination, tolling authorities will charge that vehicle class rate even though the tractor may only be pulling a single pup, a 4-axle combination. Vehicle misclassification charges add up so motor carriers must make the proper transponder adjustments. Carriers can find these charges by conducting a line-by-line search of all toll transactions in their monthly printed toll invoices.


Truck operators should review toll invoices for more than just max tolls and vehicle misclassifications. Many toll facilities assess “peak tolls” (or “dynamic tolling”) during the busiest traffic hours of the week. Those peak hours appear on the toll facility’s website. The dramatic increase in toll rates during those times jumps off the page when examining toll invoices. Motor carriers will want to educate their drivers and dispatchers to avoid peak hours – but first carriers will want to examine the reams of toll invoice paperwork for any peak hour operations.


Transponders act just like active credit cards – effective and efficient but subject to abuse and fraud. Just as we review our personal credit card statements for unauthorized charges, motor carriers should review toll invoices for unauthorized uses. Some locations allow transponders to pay for airport parking or for food purchases. The E-ZPass network lists those parking charges with the abbreviation “SVC” for “service,” while food purchases show up as “E-ZPass Plus” charges.


Carriers can also detect abuse and fraud when toll charges occur during non-working hours or on non-company routes. Those unauthorized charges could indicate an employee removing the transponder, or taking one from inventory, and using it in a different truck or in a personal vehicle. When someone surreptitiously takes a transponder from the carrier’s inventory, the toll invoice may list charges for an “unassigned device.” In any of these instances, the motor carrier will want to review its transponder management. First, though, the motor carrier must become aware of the unauthorized charges.


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