On January 1st the german autobahn toll system is to begin.
A few weeks ago I read, that at this time (around the beginning of October) only 12 (twelve!) on-board-units have been installed on french trucks. Quite a low figure, isn’t it?!?
How do you, who travel regularly or occassionally to Germany by truck, handle the german tolls? Are going to book your routes via internet or will you book on the terminals.
We need those on-board-units as we use the autobahns on a daily basis, but so far only half of our vehicles are equipped (no units available). Those which are equipped already show clearly that in an average week there are around 400 EUR (!) in tolls.
We have the same problem by the firm that I am working at present
there are not enough OBUunits and so many of my work mates
will have to pay the toll at the terminals ,we will use either a card
direct from the toll -collect firm or use our DKV ,cards.
The biggest problem will be when you have no OBU unit in
your vehicle and you have to go off route,this will cost more time
as you will have to change your route in the toll-collect maschine
before you can go off route. This also means more time wasted
and next year the 48std week will come in force.
About half of my gaffers 120 motors have the OBU´s fitted and with a bit of luck mine will go in this week
At present there is no-one authorised to fit the obu’s in the uk. so UK hauliers have to have them fitted in Europe. There are not many spare units so as usual the uk hauliers will be at a disadvantage!
In the last fiasco from toll collect, we were issued with the cards and instructions. I was in Schwarmstedt when Toll Collect were fitting the terminals and they gave a few drivers leaflets printed in our own language and a demonstration of how the machines worked, and how to plan a route.
Everything is fine if you are just going from A to B but on groupage or if you have to change routes, it will be a nihghtmare without the OBU
Aachen Sud at 10pm on a sunday is going to be like the old days, queueing to reach the border