No More Toll Receipts

[Moot]

My carrier announced the following earlier this week:

Starting 11/1, you will no longer be required to submit receipts for shipments where toll reimbursement has been approved by dispatch. Our systems will automatically calculate the toll costs based on your truck size and the shipment’s loaded miles. The tolls cost will then be added to the shipment’s settlement allowing you more time to focus on making your business successful.

Tolls are compensated on all authorized loaded miles as determined by PCMiler taking into account truck type and applying EZPass discounts. Please continue to send in your New York toll receipts to receive your Fuel Tax miles credit.

For me this seems like a great idea. Toll reimbursement is somewhat complicated, partially because I don't have an onboard printer. If a load offer involves tolls I wait until dispatch calls before accepting the load. I need to verbally ask if tolls are paid and have the toll authorization sent over the QC. After the load has been delivered I receive a QC screen that requires me to enter the pro number and total $ amount of tolls. I also must scan in the toll receipts for that load along with the POD and BOL. The problem for me is I have I-Pass so I must print the receipt info off the I-Pass website, segregate the appropriate tolls for the load and add up the total $ amount.

Sometimes it's almost a week before I find a printer and scan all of my paperwork. Of course they want it immediately, at least the POD and BOL. Maybe I'm not the only one that has delayed sending in paperwork because of tolls.

There a few things in this new system that bother me. One is:

Our systems will automatically calculate the toll costs based on your truck size and the shipment’s loaded miles.

Tolls are compensated on all authorized loaded miles as determined by PCMiler taking into account truck type and applying EZPass discounts.

No mention of paid deadhead miles to the shipper. Also, PCMiler routing could avoid toll roads if the toll road route is longer. I often will take I-294 around Chicago or I-80/90 across Indiana/Ohio rather than mess around with U.S. 20.

I hope this system isn't another revenue center for the carrier like the QC scam.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Exactly. Usually when a company tells you they'll figure out what they owe you, you'll get the short end of the stick. It seems like it's not worth the trouble. There are easier ways of doing it, and Panther has a habit of ignoring those easier ways.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

they certainly didn't think that out.....its anti EZ pass.....or now you have the space be like some Turtle comes to minds...a scanner/printer onboard...?

the easiest of course..just issue you all a new EZ pass...under the company name...Roadrunner does this way....

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Exactly. Usually when a company tells you they'll figure out what they owe you, you'll get the short end of the stick. It seems like it's not worth the trouble. There are easier ways of doing it, and Panther has a habit of ignoring those easier ways.

yep......ignore the simple....gee whiz

 

[ntimevan]

they certainly didn't think that out.....its anti EZ pass.....or now you have the space be like some Turtle comes to minds...a scanner/printer onboard...?

the easiest of course..just issue you all a new EZ pass...under the company name...Roadrunner does this way....

Yes ...Roadrunner does issue their contractors the EZ pass .. it is great ... and it makes for Timely pickup and delivery of customer shipments ...
Almost forgot ... at NO COST to the contractor ...

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Yes ...Roadrunner does issue their contractors the EZ pass .. it is great ... and it makes for Timely pickup and delivery of customer shipments ...

Holy crap....a carrier that doesn't think their operators will abuse the system....you have a trusting business relationship.....

 

[xiggi]

Oh some will abuse it that's just human nature. What I like is when they punish the guilty not the whole group.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

So true Xiggi....someone will always try to "work" the system....

 

[jelliott]

Yeah that is an issue. How do you manage tolls when trucks are repositioning themselves, deadheading home or stuff like that? Do drivers start using toll roads even if they don't make the best financial decision because.....it aint my problem now? I kind of see it as you have to manage it either way. Its like sales people. I make mine use their own cards and turn in expense reports every week vs giving them company cards. I just think people are more conscious that way.

 

[cashflow]

We do audit once a month yeah its a pain we have to monitor when on HT or if a OO repositions themselves

 

[TDave]

Personally I think this is a way for Panther to monitor it a little bit more. The catch is when your under a load then they add it to the current run. I don't know if that includes dh or not but if your not under a load then (as it should) falls under the drivers responsibility.

 

[Turtle]

FWIW, I rarely have to print something anymore. I'll print out the insurance certificates when they renew, and once in a while I'll scan and print (using the copier function) a copy of a BOL for the receiver if they need a copy and don't have quick access to a copier. I'll print out 10 blank BOLs at a time to have on hand, those 10 usually last me a year. I'll print out 10 or so of these trip sheets, that's essentially my scratch paper for the pickup and delivery information. It helps when I walk into the shipper and they don't know anything about the shipment. I've got space for 16 loads on each page, so 10 of those last me a while.

I scan a lot of stuff, though. Toll receipts when I'm in Kansas or someplace that doesn't take the I-Pass. But for the I-Pass tolls, I just "print" the Web page to a PDF file, use Adobe to markup the pro numbers on the listed tolls, and then fill out the Tolls cover sheet with the totals and my name truck number, merge those PDFs into a single file, and e-mail that into the office.

I don't do it every week, just once a month or so, or when I've accumulated a sizable about of tolls to turn in $40, $50, whatever). Sometimes months will go by without me incurring any tolls, and other times I'll rack up nearly $100 in a week or two. I try not to go past a 2-page printout from I-Pass, to make it easier for whoever is having to process the tolls.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Yeah that is an issue. How do you manage tolls when trucks are repositioning themselves, deadheading home or stuff like that? Do drivers start using toll roads even if they don't make the best financial decision because.....it aint my problem now? I kind of see it as you have to manage it either way. Its like sales people. I make mine use their own cards and turn in expense reports every week vs giving them company cards. I just think people are more conscious that way.

Even when I was with you, John I quite often avoided a toll if it made good business sense to do so even tho Load 1 would have paid....not only responsible to my business but yours as well since we were working toward a common goal....

 

[cheri1122]

Yeah that is an issue. How do you manage tolls when trucks are repositioning themselves, deadheading home or stuff like that? Do drivers start using toll roads even if they don't make the best financial decision because.....it aint my problem now? I kind of see it as you have to manage it either way. Its like sales people. I make mine use their own cards and turn in expense reports every week vs giving them company cards. I just think people are more conscious that way.

Conscious is a good thing for drivers to be, but conscientious is priceless, lol.
Sorry, John, couldn't resist!

PS I'm not as 'fly' as Turtle, I just print out my EZ Pass statement once a month, and hand write appropriate load pro numbers for each charge. It's little enough to do for a carrier that reimburses all tolls, IMO.

 

[Moot]

So far this automated toll calculation is working well. Panther's routing and mine are in sync. Last week I incurred $28.57 in tolls and was reimbursed $28.54. I'm not going to sweat the 3 cent loss. When you're making the big bucks like I am, what's a measly 3 cents! All tolls are calculated at the highest rate(rush hour) so in theory I should come out ahead in Chicago running the tollways and using I-Pass.

It will be interesting to see how routing goes when running between Kansas City and Texas. I will usually run U.S. 69 avoiding most of the tollways and shaving off about 50 miles.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

So far this automated toll calculation is working well. Panther's routing and mine are in sync. Last week I incurred $28.57 in tolls and was reimbursed $28.54. I'm not going to sweat the 3 cent loss. When you're making the big bucks like I am, what's a measly 3 cents! All tolls are calculated at the highest rate(rush hour) so in theory I should come out ahead in Chicago running the tollways and using I-Pass.

It will be interesting to see how routing goes when running between Kansas City and Texas. I will usually run U.S. 69 avoiding most of the tollways and shaving off about 50 miles.

you mean to see if their computers picks up the course deviation or not and makes the adjustments...?
and IF they do you pay for the toll road you never paid for..you'll reimburse Panther back...

 

[JohnMueller]

Yeah that is an issue. How do you manage tolls when trucks are repositioning themselves, deadheading home or stuff like that? Do drivers start using toll roads even if they don't make the best financial decision because.....it aint my problem now? I kind of see it as you have to manage it either way. Its like sales people. I make mine use their own cards and turn in expense reports every week vs giving them company cards. I just think people are more conscious that way.

Mr. Elliott - you are now appointed President of Sales for PTL and have the correct approach to bring some much needed accountability to our Sales Department.

 

[jelliott]

Mr. Elliott - you are now appointed President of Sales for PTL and have the correct approach to bring some much needed accountability to our Sales Department.

What does this new position pay?

 

[Mdbtyhtr]

There is an App called CamScanner that turns your phone into a document scanner. You can send the JPEG or PDF to your email and then attach the docs to your report. It will save you time and make your reports more efficient.

 

[tknight]

you mean to see if their computers picks up the course deviation or not and makes the adjustments...?
and IF they do you pay for the toll road you never paid for..you'll reimburse Panther back...[/QUOTE
Of course he will with interest!