How to manage toll violations in a growing fleet efficiently

The typical fleet manager juggles countless moving parts—from managing vehicle maintenance schedules to coordinating driver schedules, all while ensuring operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

With so many competing responsibilities, even the most experienced fleet managers can find themselves buried in unexpected administrative work. One task that often snowballs into a significant time drain? Managing and processing toll violations.

Understanding the causes of toll violations and their impact on fleets

If you have a smaller fleet, dealing with tolls might be relatively painless. A toll violation arrives in the mail once in a while; you pay it and move on. But as your fleet scales, or if you already have a larger one, the risk of toll violations increases. In a growing operation, these once-sporadic annoyances can become daily disruptions.

If not managed proactively, a few missed tolls can get buried under other daily tasks and cross-departmental responsibilities, leading to higher costs and operational slowdowns that negatively impact fleet performance.

Understanding what causes toll violations is a crucial first step in preventing them. Most violations stem from relatively minor errors: Drivers taking the wrong toll lane, transponders not being mounted correctly, or insufficient funds in an account. Others come from clerical oversights, such as using a transponder registered to another vehicle or using an in-state pass on an out-of-state toll road. Regardless of the reason, each violation requires your attention—meaning less time for higher-priority tasks.

Mistakes like these are easy to make—especially if your drivers are unfamiliar with regional toll rules. Every state has its own guidelines, tolling system technologies, and fee structures, which means keeping up with these tedious rules across all your routes is no small task.

When a toll violation notice arrives, you can take steps to ensure it’s valid and dispute it if necessary. Always begin by verifying the identification information. Does the notice list the correct license plate number? Is the image of the vehicle clear? Mistakes happen, and blurry photos or data-entry errors can lead to violations being issued to the wrong vehicle. Also, confirm that the vehicle in question is still part of your fleet. You may not be responsible for the charge if it's been sold recently.

It’s also worth checking the status of your transponder accounts. Is the pass still active? Is there enough money in the account? Has your information with the tolling authority been updated? These are small details that can make a big impact when it comes to preventing future violation issues.

If the violation is legitimate, pay it as soon as possible to avoid additional penalties. If you believe it's an error, don't wait—dispute it promptly. Many tolling authorities give you a limited window, sometimes just two weeks, to respond. Delays can result in higher fines or even the suspension of your vehicle registration, depending on the state. When submitting a dispute, include as much evidence as possible, such as vehicle logs, route data, or sale records. The more documentation you can provide, the stronger your case will be.

Strategies and tools to prevent and manage toll violations effectively

Of course, prevention is key. Establishing a company policy for your drivers is one of the best ways to reduce toll violations. Make sure they understand the toll roads they’ll encounter and whether their vehicle is properly registered with the correct tolling agency. Educate and provide drivers with clear guidance on what to do in tolling situations, especially when traveling through unfamiliar states.

Equipping each vehicle with a working, properly mounted transponder can also drastically reduce toll issues. It streamlines the toll payment process for drivers and eliminates the need to reroute around toll roads—saving time and reducing wear on vehicles. More importantly, it keeps the billing process centralized and more predictable for your back office.

If your fleet is growing, investing in toll management software can help you proactively mitigate toll violations and paper bills. Technology solutions can consolidate all the tolls your vehicles receive across all tolling authorities nationwide into a single account. These platforms can automatically track which vehicles are on which toll roads, centralize payment to eliminate multiple replenishments, and alert you to any issues. When a violation does occur, it’s much easier to identify which vehicle and driver were involved and quickly resolve the issue.

Resolving toll violations doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process. With the right tools, strategies, and education in place, you can reduce violations significantly—and handle the ones that do come up with less hassle. Being proactive about toll management allows you to spend more time on what really matters: running a safe, efficient, and profitable fleet.