Service Trucking Cuts Toll Violations and Administrative Costs

Background

Service Trucking Inc. is a family-owned & operated trucking company out of Eustis, Florida, transporting refrigerated and dry products across the US. Founded in 1976, this multi-generational organization is continuing to look for ways to find success. With a fleet of more than 90 tractors and 150 trailers, business is booming. Even so, the team couldn’t sustain violations that scaled with their growth in operations. After late nights and paying thousands of dollars in fees, they looked to Bestpass to streamline their tolling process and reduce violations and adjacent fees.

Problem

As Service Trucking expanded their fleet, they began investing in their technology stack, including a toll management solution. Still, the company was experiencing more than 30 toll violations each month, many from transponder misreads, which accrued heavy fines (between $50–$60 on a $3 toll). Additionally, long processing times (2–3 weeks) through their toll management provider led to some transactions being charged twice. This added up to $3,000–$5,000 a month in fees.

Various members of the team had to manually rectify these issues, usually late at night after the rest of the team went home. Between the extra hours and hefty fees being paid, Service Trucking knew they couldn’t continue to operate in that process. The team estimated that even a dedicated full-time employee wouldn’t have been able to cover the admin they were handling, so they took a call with Bestpass.

Solution

In chatting with Bestpass, the team realized they could avoid most violations with a solution designed for commercial trucks and fleets. Bestpass would also spare them hours of admin time. Bestpass handles the administrative effort caused by misreads while also providing an easy-to-use toll management platform that enables automated payments on all toll transactions. In addition, by using Complete Pass, Service Trucking saw better rates on some of the East Coast’s most expensive toll roads.

Bestpass immediately reduced fees and administrative time, which has also allowed Service Trucking to get more strategic. Each month, the team receives a report from Bestpass detailing expenses related to different routes as well as truck/driver performance, allowing them to design better routes for additional savings.

Results

Service Trucking reduced misreads by 80%, dropped violations from 30 to one or two per month, and used Bestpass reports to design more efficient routes.

Saving Thousands with Fewer Violations & Fines

Before Bestpass, Service Trucking was getting around 30 violations per month. They now see around 1 or 2 violations as their transponders clear far more consistently. In addition, they streamlined billing with a Surety Balance. Now, their bills are paid immediately, eliminating late fees and long processing times.

Avoided Having to Hire Full Time Help

The team used to work late nights and felt that even a full-time employee couldn’t keep up with administrative tasks associated with processing violations, late fees and duplicate transactions. Now, the team is paperless, tolls and violations are paid immediately, and when rare misreads do occur, Bestpass handles it. That buffer between themselves and state tolling authorities helps the Service Trucking team avoid cumbersome telephone calls.

Reporting That Has an Impact

Each month the team gets a report on toll transactions and truck performance, which they use to redefine routes in high toll areas to save costs, and determine which trucks aren’t performing and determine if trucks are stagnant. Service Trucking has shared these data points and strategies throughout the organization, making a larger impact on their operational efficiency and bottom line.

“Bestpass has set us up for success. We use the real-time data to make better decisions about our fleet, we save a lot of manpower processing violations, and we’ve seen a drop in misreads. Making the switch has been a game-changer.”

Michael Baugh, Safety & Recruiting Manager

FAQs

How can a growing trucking fleet reduce toll violations and administrative workload?

Adopt a toll management platform built for commercial fleets, such as Bestpass. It automates payments, reduces transponder misreads, and handles violation paperwork while providing route-level reports. Service Trucking used this approach to cut violations from about 30 to 1–2 per month and eliminate late-night admin work.

What results did Service Trucking see after switching to Bestpass for toll management?

They reduced misreads by 80% and lowered violations from around 30 to one or two per month. A Surety Balance paid bills immediately, removing late fees and long processing times that led to duplicates. Monthly route and performance reports also helped them design more efficient routes.

Steps to prevent toll transponder misreads and avoid duplicate charges for commercial trucks.

Use a fleet-focused toll solution that reliably reads commercial truck transponders. Enable automated payments with a Surety Balance so bills clear immediately, limiting late fees and duplicates. Have the provider handle misreads and dispute errors, and review monthly route and vehicle reports to refine routes and spot anomalies.

Is there a toll solution that automates payments, removes late fees, and provides route-level reports for fleets?

Yes. Bestpass automates toll payments, and with a Surety Balance, bills clear instantly, removing late fees and long processing delays. It also delivers monthly route-level reporting and performance insights to guide cost-saving route decisions.

What is Bestpass Complete Pass and how does it help with expensive East Coast toll roads?

Bestpass Complete Pass is an option within the Bestpass program that helped Service Trucking secure better rates on some of the East Coast’s most expensive toll roads. Used with the Bestpass platform, it supports automated toll payments and monthly reporting to simplify management.

How do surety balances work in fleet tolling, and can they help pay bills immediately?

A Surety Balance is a funding setup that pays toll bills as soon as they post. Service Trucking used it to make payments immediately, which removed late fees and the delays that can lead to duplicate charges.

Case study: trucking company cuts toll-related fees by thousands per month, what changed in their process?

Service Trucking replaced manual, after-hours violation processing with Bestpass automation. The platform handled misreads and automated toll payments, cutting misreads by 80% and dropping violations from 30 to 1–2 per month. Faster, accurate processing ended duplicates, and monthly route reports drove ongoing savings, amounting to thousands of dollars per month.

What data and reports should a fleet use to redesign routes and reduce toll expenses?

Use monthly toll reports that break down spend by route and show truck and driver performance. Service Trucking used these insights to redesign routes in high-toll areas, identify underperforming or stagnant vehicles, and share findings across the team to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Alternatives to hiring full-time staff to process toll violations for a 90–100 vehicle fleet.

Instead of adding headcount, use a toll management service like Bestpass to process violations, resolve misreads, and automate payments. Service Trucking’s 90+ vehicle fleet went paperless, paid tolls immediately via a Surety Balance, and relied on provider support as a buffer with state tolling authorities—removing the need for a full-time administrator.

How much can toll violation fines add up from transponder misreads, and how can fleets prevent them?

Fines from misreads can run $50–$60 on a $3 toll, contributing to $3,000–$5,000 in monthly fees for growing fleets. Prevention starts with a commercial-focused toll platform that reduces misreads by 80%, automates payments, and uses a Surety Balance to avoid late fees and processing delays.