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TRALA Pushes for Solution to Tolling Issues Plaguing Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry

Unique tolling problems facing the vehicle renting and leasing industry are the focus of a new white paper released today by TRALA. As part of the MAP-21 highway reauthorization bill, Congress mandated that a nationally interoperable system for collecting tolls electronically be established within four years. TRALA initially released its white paper to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), which is helping to formulate an interoperability strategy in accordance with the mandate. TRALA intends to work together with AAMVA leading up to the implementation of nationwide tolling interoperability to address the challenges its members face with tolling.
 
Truck renting and leasing companies are often held financially responsible for toll transactions or violations incurred by their customers, for a number of reasons that are detailed in TRALA's white paper. Toll violations incurred by vehicle operators are often enforced by checking the rented or leased vehicle's license plate to find the registered owner, which is the renting and leasing company, who then receives a notice of violation for the toll, plus penalties. In most states, TRALA members have some statutory authority to transfer liability for the violations from themselves to the vehicle operator so the toll operators can invoice the responsible party. However, in many cases, that is generally where the process breaks down.  
 
Whether it is the lack of a response or action by toll operators upon receipt of transfer of liability paperwork, or the lack of a timely notice to lessors in the first place, TRALA members have generally found the current practices for attempting to absolve themselves from violations incurred by the actual vehicle operators to be inadequate. One of the ultimate goals publicly stated by AAMVA is the future suspension of registrations for both in state and out of state vehicles that have outstanding toll violations.  As such, there has never been a better time for TRALA and the toll operators to work together to find a solution that works for all involved parties. 
 
As the TRALA white paper states, "Lessors have been, and continue to be, ready and willing to do their fair share of the work to help toll operators collect funds that are owed to them." TRALA also suggests a solution that is based on the current practices of one toll operator. Click here to view TRALA's white paper on tolling that goes into detail about current challenges, and a possible solution.
 
For questions, contact TRALA's Joe Sculley at jsculley@trala.org or by calling (703) 299-9120.