Let's Talk About Tolls

[ATeam]

I came across this interesting article today that explains how NJ tolls (due to increase over 50 percent in January, 2012), are affecting and will affect truckers who drive in and through that state. Tolls in other states are rising too, to levels that are beyond reason (my opinion).

I'd like to hear what other expediters are seeing with tolls and what compensation adjustments if any are being made for tolls. What behavior and pricing changes have you made regarding tolls?

For Diane and me, our toll expenses have plummeted since we changed carriers from FedEx Custom Critical to Landstar because we run less often in the Northeast. When loads take us there, we have found agents to be increasingly willing to add $100 to the run pay to cover tolls. In many cases, they go back to the customer to get the $100.

The article gives examples of how toll increases are being felt on every trip and are passed on to customers by carriers that transport the customers freight.

Are you protecting your profit margin in the same way? Are you able to get reimbursed for the toll money you pay out?

 

[Bruno]

Thanks for posting this Phil. As a fleet owner that pays all the tolls, the cost of going to the east coast is going to go up now even more. We will have to look at loads better when going to the east coast.

 

[usafk9]

While my response is probably not what you're looking for, I detest tolls. For the life of me, I cannot get why states cannot pay for road maintenance in their fuel taxes, and why we, as citizens, continue to have them jammed down our throat.

What really irks me more is dollars collected for highway taxes being used for other things.

Two examples: The NYS Thruway was built with bond debt that was supposed to paid off long ago, then refinanced, but those bonds were paid off in 1997. Those funds were to build and pay for future maintenance through interest. Why do they still collect tolls?

Next, Fast Eddie Rendell tried (I believe last year) to toll Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania to pay for, among other things, sidewalks in Philly. Why the heck should I pay for that? The state of PA submitted their toll request at least 3 times in the same form, with rejection coming because the feds wanted increased capacity in exchange for the tolling. Duh.

Another thing that really burns my britches is the subject of public-private partnerships for toll roads. The Indiana toll road is a glaring example. That road is one major piece of overpriced caca. Next, the OH turnpike is being studied, with our TAX dollars to become a PPP, with lease of the system to a foreign entity being discussed. Why do we continue to allow these things? You mean that their is no American company/entity that is willing to invest in our own highways? Why tolls anyhow? Why not just reflect the cost in fuel taxes? Is it because the word TOLL is more palatable than TAX?

I have often told myself (yes, sometimes my most productive conversation of the day) that if I won the lottery, I would make a hobby of bringing lawsuits against places like New York for charging me their back-door tax without representation.

Now, back to your regularly-scheduled question: I consider tolls when accepting or declining a load. An allowance for tolls is either included in the run pay, or counter-offered, or simply not run.

 

[ATeam]

...Now, back to your regularly-scheduled question: I consider tolls when accepting or declining a load. An allowance for tolls is either included in the run pay, or counter-offered, or simply not run.

How do you determine how much to ask for?

 

[layoutshooter]

We don't "ask" for additional money to cover tolls. We just require more per load in high toll areas. If we can't turn a profit we turn it down. Simple.

 

[Bruno]

While my response is probably not what you're looking for, I detest tolls. For the life of me, I cannot get why states cannot pay for road maintenance in their fuel taxes, and why we, as citizens, continue to have them jammed down our throat.

What really irks me more is dollars collected for highway taxes being used for other things.

Two examples: The NYS Thruway was built with bond debt that was supposed to paid off long ago, then refinanced, but those bonds were paid off in 1997. Those funds were to build and pay for future maintenance through interest. Why do they still collect tolls?

Next, Fast Eddie Rendell tried (I believe last year) to toll Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania to pay for, among other things, sidewalks in Philly. Why the heck should I pay for that? The state of PA submitted their toll request at least 3 times in the same form, with rejection coming because the feds wanted increased capacity in exchange for the tolling. Duh.

Another thing that really burns my britches is the subject of public-private partnerships for toll roads. The Indiana toll road is a glaring example. That road is one major piece of overpriced caca. Next, the OH turnpike is being studied, with our TAX dollars to become a PPP, with lease of the system to a foreign entity being discussed. Why do we continue to allow these things? You mean that their is no American company/entity that is willing to invest in our own highways? Why tolls anyhow? Why not just reflect the cost in fuel taxes? Is it because the word TOLL is more palatable than TAX?

I have often told myself (yes, sometimes my most productive conversation of the day) that if I won the lottery, I would make a hobby of bringing lawsuits against places like New York for charging me their back-door tax without representation.

Now, back to your regularly-scheduled question: I consider tolls when accepting or declining a load. An allowance for tolls is either included in the run pay, or counter-offered, or simply not run.

You sound like me when it comes to Tolls. I would agree with everything you said 100%

 

[chefdennis]

My carrier will totally reimburse all tolls I pay as long as i do the paper work and send it in..I am not sure how they handle the toll cost with the customer. In the almost 1.5 yrs i have been there, i have not asked for or filed the paper work for a single toll to be reimbursed....to me they are a cost of doing business and also deductable....and I do not avoid toll roads, I take them whenever i need to....

I understand that the cost to the bigger trucks is much higher, but even with that, when tolls are increased to the big trucks, they are also increased to us smaller units....I don't have any particular like or dislike of paying them, and i understand that most toll roads were to at some point become "user fee free"....but it is what it is....so I use them and pay the toll..and write it off as a expense....

 

[ATeam]

We don't "ask" for additional money to cover tolls. We just require more per load in high toll areas. If we can't turn a profit we turn it down. Simple.

Can we get specific? What are the high toll areas you refer to? How much more per load do you require?

 

[layoutshooter]

Can we get specific? What are the high toll areas you refer to? How much more per load do you require?

We run a lot of NYC, NJ etc. There is no set "per load" that we require. It depends on many things. The weight of the load, reefer vs. non-reefer etc. We have been turning down a lot more loads for pay reasons as expenses go up. If we feel that there is room to play we will counter with a higher pay. If we get it, fine, if not, we don't run. The majority of the runs we take that way more than cover costs.

 

[usafk9]

Yeah, what Joe said.

If the run is otherwise in our 'range', tolls can be a make or break. While we don't track them specifically, we probably should. I do know if we're going to or through one or more of the five boroughs, we're definitely asking for more. Likewise if we're going from say, Wisconsin or Iowa to eastern NY, or any of the New England states, we know we're going to get hosed, and ask for more.

 

[davekc]

Panther will usually pay the tolls. Just have to request it at the time of the run and send the receipts in.
They did say no a few times, and we just decline the load.
All in all, they are pretty reasonable with it.

 

[teamjdw]

We will need stress pay(for driver's),pain and suffering(for truck repairs) pay due to **** poor road conditions, and toll money.Otherwise the East coast is a no go! Oh and if you want us to cross the G.W.... your going to have to add another zero to that load offer.

 

[tumbleweeds]

My carrier will totally reimburse all tolls I pay as long as i do the paper work and send it in..I am not sure how they handle the toll cost with the customer. In the almost 1.5 yrs i have been there, i have not asked for or filed the paper work for a single toll to be reimbursed....to me they are a cost of doing business and also deductable....and I do not avoid toll roads, I take them whenever i need to....

I understand that the cost to the bigger trucks is much higher, but even with that, when tolls are increased to the big trucks, they are also increased to us smaller units....I don't have any particular like or dislike of paying them, and i understand that most toll roads were to at some point become "user fee free"....but it is what it is....so I use them and pay the toll..and write it off as a expense....

We feel the same way for the most part. We don't enjoy going into NY or Long Island so we require tolls. As a van we don't get beaten up as bad as the bigger trucks. So in Chicago area or most other places, we will eat the tolls if the load is worth while like 800 miles or more or going somewhere we want to go. The I-pass makes it way to easy to forget how much money you are spending to get across a bridge or quicker route.

 

[dancorn]

I saw signs around Chicago that cash paid toll charges are going to increase (I think it said doubling the current toll) there on Jan. 1st but I-Pass would not increase. Guess this will cause me to start using I-Pass.

 

[Turtle]

At one time, Kentucky had more miles of toll roads than any other state, nine Parkways consisting of over 650 miles reaching nearly all regions of the state (10 if you include the Kentucky Parkway, which is now unmarked as such and is the incorporated stretch of I-65 between Elizabethtown and the Watterson Expressway in Louisville). The road construction for all of the Parkways were financed by construction bonds. By state law, toll collection was to cease on all Parkways when enough tolls were collected to pay off the bonds.

Unbelievably, that's exactly what happened.

So when you drive through Kentucky on one of our glorious Parkways, take satisfaction in you are driving on rare road, indeed.

 

[mjmsprt40]

I saw signs around Chicago that cash paid toll charges are going to increase (I think it said doubling the current toll) there on Jan. 1st but I-Pass would not increase. Guess this will cause me to start using I-Pass.

I-Pass rates increase too-- for cars. If the present toll at the gate is .40 I-Pass, .80 Cash, the new rate will be .75/1.50 for an example. I think only the car rates are changing, from what I see on the signs.

The Skyway is changing too, if I remember right. If it does, it will be cheaper by far to take the long way around. Right now it's a bit of a tossup. If you take 94 down and around, the cost per mile exceeds that of the tolls on the Skyway, but once the tolls go up the Skyway becomes more expensive than the mileage on 94.

 

[60MPH]

We will need stress pay(for driver's),pain and suffering(for truck repairs) pay due to **** poor road conditions, and toll money.Otherwise the East coast is a no go! Oh and if you want us to cross the G.W.... your going to have to add another zero to that load offer.

What about heading South its free on the G.W.?? I would still charge for the abuse to truck that bridge is tore up. The lower deck is even worse, there is some giant holes in that right lane. Lower level: last resort

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I-Pass rates increase too-- for cars. If the present toll at the gate is .40 I-Pass, .80 Cash, the new rate will be .75/1.50 for an example. I think only the car rates are changing, from what I see on the signs.

The Skyway is changing too, if I remember right. If it does, it will be cheaper by far to take the long way around. Right now it's a bit of a tossup. If you take 94 down and around, the cost per mile exceeds that of the tolls on the Skyway, but once the tolls go up the Skyway becomes more expensive than the mileage on 94.

According to my GPS it is less then a gallon of fuel difference...no brainer skip the bridge.....even tho my carrier pays tolls which like Chef I prefer to pay myself....I begrudge the tolls whenever I get a chance...

 

[OntarioVanMan]

What about heading South its free on the G.W.?? I would still charge for the abuse to truck that bridge is tore up. The lower deck is even worse, there is some giant holes in that right lane. Lower level: last resort

I don't cross them bridges under any circumstances...I don't even let them talk money...I just won't cross them bridges....I did it enough....no more....

 

[ATeam]

The I-pass makes it way to easy to forget how much money you are spending to get across a bridge or quicker route.

True. But I-pass and EZ Pass also makes it very easy to keep track of the tolls you pay. The monthly statements lay it all out. Using the transponders makes you eligible for toll discounts. They also aid fuel economy because you do not have to come to a complete stop at some toll booths and at the open road tolling sites, you can sail through without stopping at all.