Moving from one place to another across the United States sometimes feels overwhelming, with several traveling concerns in mind. One of these issues is road tolls, which concern individuals passing through these express lanes and turnpikes.
Auto shipping companies also have to deal with these tolls as businesses. Road tolls put ahead some challenges for auto transport companies since they will unquestionably affect auto shipment costs affecting, in turn, their price quotes and revenue.
This article sheds some light on toll roads, their purpose, and how toll systems impact auto transport quotes.
Introduction to toll roads
Toll roads are not the invention of recent times. They rather have a long history which we’ll demonstrate briefly, along with clarifying their use and purpose.
History of toll roads
The first turnpike in the United States was built in 1792 in Pennsylvania, known as the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. Pennsylvania Turnpike is now the most expensive toll road worldwide at an estimated cost of $112.91. One major reason for its high price is its size spanning 360 miles.
After the American Revolution, a series of road construction campaigns followed the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Several reasons were behind building toll roads across the states, from the need to widen and reform worn-out roads to the emergence of newer and heavier automobiles.
The use of toll roads
Toll road systems require vehicles to pay a fee in exchange for passing through a specific road. Collecting fines for using these public highways is mainly for road maintenance and keeping optimal road services ongoing. In some cases, toll roads are made to put some control on the huge traffic in big cities during peak hours, which may result in serious consequences.
US toll roads
The United States joins the few countries of the European Union that use toll road systems. 38 nation-states out of 50 charge tolls in the US. What is worth noting is that smart tolls using electronic payment methods are limited to some states with toll facilities. Other states still use traditional toll booths, yet electronic procedures will reach these areas soon.
Florida is the state with the biggest number of toll roads. Comes next Oklahoma, then New York and Pennsylvania, whose turnpike is known to be the most expensive toll road in the US and the world. Other states have toll roads, considered major auto shipping areas, including New Jersey, Miami, San Francisco, and Houston.
Toll roads and auto shipping services
As auto transport service providers increase, competition is also getting more intense. Almost all auto transport companies bind to the business standards of shipping vehicles, including certification, high-quality services, and competitive prices.
The latter gets harder to achieve when considering the number of toll roads vehicle carriers have to pass through, adding more costs to the shipment process. Though these fees are added to the client’s bill at the end, it would be better for companies to cut costs and show their clients how much they care about their budget to ensure customer satisfaction and retention, especially in a growing competitive market.
A vehicle carrier might have to use several toll facilities, eventually paying a considerable sum for toll systems. This factor imposes additional pay to the transporting quote that is evaluated according to distance, time, and the number of toll roads to travel along.
Calculating the cost of shipping a vehicle is pretty easy using a digital cost calculator. Tempus Logix has invested heavily in implementing an advanced AI-based auto-shipping cost calculator on its website. The cutting-edge technology provides instant auto-shipping quotes.
Moreover, the online cost calculator Tempus Logix has on its website takes into account the tolls based on the client’s provided input, allowing its website visitors to find out how much they need to budget for transporting their cars instantly and accurately.
Tempus Logix knows how flexibility and comfort establish the cornerstone of satisfying customer service. Therefore, the company has a veteran team ready to provide quotes for different shipment specifications. For those who are more comfortable talking to people and discussing terms instead of using online tools, Tempus Logix is always ready and welcoming.
How do auto transport companies handle tolls?
Knowing that toll roads could make further considerable costs on auto shipment services, companies look for alternative solutions to cut down some costs, thus, providing more affordable quotes for their clients.
What auto transport companies can do to minimize costs is, in the first place, avoid getting through toll facilities as long as it is possible after reviewing all available routes. Another way to reduce vehicle transportation costs is choosing less expensive roads that won’t add much extra cost to the final bill.
In some cases, vehicle carriers can’t avoid going through toll facilities. In this case, customer service agents could discuss with their clients the routes and toll roads the vehicle carrier will take while transporting vehicles so that they can expect what extra fees would add up to the final price.
In the end, toll facilities are a good channel to collect money for the maintenance of the roads and the services provided, and they can be time and money-saving in particular conditions. Though they add extra costs to the auto shipping industry, there are always practical solutions that would serve all parties.
