Next to fuel, road tolls are one of the largest costs in international transport. Governments and road operators set the per-kilometre rates. The final amount on the invoice, however, also depends on your toll provider and how you settle. This guide shows where margin leaks beyond the rate itself and how to cut those costs. For current rates in each country, see the road toll price list for 46 European countries.
In the TSL industry, there is a common belief that tolls are a “tax” that cannot be avoided. This is only half true. We cannot avoid the fee for the journey itself, but we can avoid a series of commissions and hidden costs that accumulate around the handling of these payments. Many carriers use the same on-board units (OBU) for years, treating them as a “necessary evil.” Meanwhile, the EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) market is changing dynamically, and loyalty to old contracts often means overpaying - much like an un-updated phone subscription or an old bank offer.
Where to Look for Savings? The Anatomy of Hidden Costs
For a dispatcher and company owner, simplicity is key - the truck has to drive, and the fees have to be settled. However, from a financial perspective, the devil is in the details of the contract with the tolling provider. When analyzing invoices, it is worth paying attention to four critical areas where money most often “leaks”:
1. Commissions and System Fees
A small commission on turnover is the market standard. However, some providers break it down into several items: a “system fee,” “credit insurance,” or additional percentage markups. These are often poorly visible on a consolidated invoice, but on an annual scale with a fleet of several or a dozen trucks, they create amounts in the thousands of euros.
2. OBU Operational Costs
Are you paying for the shipping of the device? Do you incur a cost for changing the registration number assigned to the box? And what if the truck is in the workshop for two weeks - does the operator charge an “inactivity fee”? In many older settlement models, each such operation is an additional 10, 20, or 50 euros added to the bill.
3. The Currency Trap (Spread)
This is often the most expensive yet least visible element. Road tolls in Europe are charged in many currencies: PLN, HUF (Hungary), CZK (Czech Republic), DKK (Denmark), SEK (Sweden), or CHF (Switzerland). If your provider converts these currencies into EUR at their own rate, they usually add a margin (spread). Even a small difference on the rate, given a transport company’s annual turnover, adds up to large amounts.
4. System Fragmentation
Using several different devices on the windshield is not just an aesthetic problem or a visibility issue for the driver. It is, above all, an administrative cost. Each system means a separate invoice, a separate deposit, and a separate complaint and accounting process.
EETS - The Standard Changing the Game
The answer to tolling chaos is the EETS (European Electronic Toll Service) system. Its premise is “one box, one contract, one invoice.” A good EETS device should support not only the main transit countries (Germany, France, Austria) but also specific markets (Poland, Hungary, Scandinavia) and additional infrastructure: bridges, tunnels, and parking lots.
Switching to a modern EETS system is the perfect moment to compare the fee table.
Solution Analysis: OMV SmartPass
As an example of an EETS solution, it is worth analyzing OMV SmartPass (based on Telepass technology). It shows what to look for when choosing a provider: one device, one invoice, currency conversion at the ECB rate and wide coverage with service in Polish.
Conversion at ECB rates This is an important point of this solution from a financial perspective. OMV SmartPass uses European Central Bank (ECB) reference rates. What does this mean in practice? ECB reference rates are published daily and contain no buy/sell margin (spread). So when you pay for Hungarian or Czech roads, you know the rate used for the conversion and can check it easily on the invoice.
Reach and Convenience for the Dispatcher
The device works on a “Plug & Play” basis in most European countries, which drastically simplifies fleet management.
- Country Coverage: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland (e-TOLL, A1, A4), Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
- Additional Infrastructure: The device automatically pays for transit through key tunnels (e.g., Liefkenshoek in Belgium, Karawanks tunnel), bridges (the famous Storebælt and Øresund connecting Denmark with Sweden), and selected secure parking lots (France, Italy).
For the dispatcher, this means an end to worrying about whether the driver has a vignette for a given bridge or cash for a tunnel. Everything is recorded automatically on one device.
List of All Roads, Bridges, Tunnels, and Ferries Covered by OMV SmartPass:
| Country | Toll Type / Object | Detailed Sections and Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Tolls + Special Sections | Gleinalm/Bosruck Tunnel (A9), Tauern Tunnel (A10), Karawanken Tunnel (A11), Inntal Autobahn (A12), Brenner Motorway (A13), Arlberg Tunnel (S16), Europabrücke Bridge |
| Belgium | Tolls | Liefkenshoek Tunnel (settled within the French network) |
| Bulgaria | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Croatia | HAC Network (Motorways) | A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A10, A11, and road D425 |
| Denmark | Bridges and Ferries | Fjordforbindelsen Bridge, Øresund Bridge (to Sweden), Storebælt Bridge, ferries per easygo.com |
| France | Tolls + Objects | Millau Viaduct, Bridges: Tancarville, Normandy, de l’île de Ré; Tunnels: Puymorens, Lyon bypass |
| Secure Parking | Dunkirk, Calais, Valenc Tev, Bézsiers, RUNGIS, CCI DEUX-SEVRES (A10/A83), DELTA PARK | |
| Spain | Tolls | Truck parking: Montseny (AP-7), Porta Barcelona (AP-7) |
| Germany | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Norway | Tolls | Svinesund Bridge, other bridges, tunnels, and ferries per easygo.com |
| Poland | e-Toll (National) | Except for private motorways |
| A4 Motorway | Katowice - Kraków section (separate system) | |
| Portugal | Tolls | Settled within the Spanish network; Bridges: 25th of April, Vasco da Gama |
| Slovakia | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Slovenia | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Switzerland | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Sweden | Bridges | Øresund Bridge (between Denmark and Sweden) |
| Hungary | Tolls | Nationwide system |
| Italy | Tolls | Villa San Giovanni - Messina Ferry; Sadobre Truck Park (A22) |
Summary
Cost optimization in a transport company does not have to involve drastic cuts. Sometimes, a simple change of toll collection tool is enough. When choosing a toll provider, check the device’s coverage, how billing works and the currency conversion mechanism.
OMV SmartPass gives you one device and one invoice across 19 countries, converted at the ECB rate.
Would you like to see how OMV SmartPass fits your fleet?
Contact ONYX and we will help you review your current toll costs and switch devices smoothly.
