OK, so this is my first week back at work and although i am still doing exactly the same job as last year and the 2 years previous, this year is slightly different, germany has introduced a toll system for trucks over 12 tonnes (thats me then right).
i expected there to be some very big queues to use the roadside maut machines but alas no.
my first time use of said machine was at aire capellen (bp fuel station) in luxembourg, they have 2 machines there, 1 in the fuel kiosk and the other in the shop terminal (there is another building that is the restaraunt).
i decided to use the machine in the shop area and there were 2 toll collect helpers (perhaps hinderers would be a better description).
there are 2 ways to proceed at these machines.
1, you are supplied with a toll collect vehicle card and pin number.
2, you use a fuel card for payment.
you are asked by the machine at the start if you have the preferred method of a pre issued toll collect card, if so you press the image on the screen (it’s all touch screen), you are then asked to insert the card then asked to remove it, if you are taken directly to another screen that asks for your country of origin and vehicle reg then you need to go back and try again.
once successful you will enter straight to the page for your route, already in the start point should be a number of start points of entry into germany near to the machine or you can click the map button and select it yourself, you click the map in the area you wish to begin your journey which then enlarges that area, keep enlarging in the area you wish to start until the screen shows 1 or 2 choices of junction, you then click on the junction you intend to begin your journey at and will then be taken to stage 2 of your planned journey, your exit point.
exactly the same as the start point, click the map on the area you intend to exit the motorway (be advised that no junction numbers are shown, germany does not recognise junction numbers for exits, only exit names).
once you have entered your desired point of exit and clicked the junction you will then be taken to the final stages, there will be a route outline on the mapped area and a written route of motorway numbers and motorway names, ie, perl a8, neunkirchen drieck a8, kaiserslautern drieck a6 and so on.
you then click ok if that is your desired route, if you want to travel a different route you can click the button change route and try again.
if you intend to follow that route then click ok again and you are then taken to the confirm page, this asks again how you want to pay, click the toll collect card or fuel card (if you missed the toll collect card at the beginning you will not have the option to click on it at this stage and will have to pay by fuel or credit card).
if paying by toll collect card you will now be asked to enter your centre reference, if you don’t have one click none and then you go to a page asking for your pin number, this is a four digit number that your employer will supply you with and will be the same for the entire company, enter that number and the trip is then recorded.
points to be aware of.
1, check the date and time of the journey start, according to toll collect agents you can start the journey before the start time recorded if it is in the same day/date but you must have finished the journey by the completion time allocated.
2, allocated completion of the journey is pre decided by the system.
3, a short journey will only allow a short completion time, a long journey will allow a longer completion time.
4, you can book in advance of your journeys if you are sure that you know the times you will travel the prebooked routes.
5, you can save journeys via the toll collect website and access them from the roadside terminals if you wish, this is ideal if you travel to regular destinations from the same places.
6, if you cancel a prebooked journey there is a 5euro charge but it is free to change the journey route.
7, mautatlases are available if you see a toll collect agent, they show all roadside machines places and list all obu partners with contact details and addresses.
i experienced only one delay and that was at 0700 on friday morning at bruchsal truckstop, one driver took 25 minutes to plan 2 routes and that was with the help of the toll collect agent.
i booked 3 journeys using the roadside machines and 4 journeys using the internet, i had to cancel one journey and my boss did that from the uk over the internet, he then rebooked the same journey at a later time.
the reason for the cancellation was a 5 hour wait to load 12 ton of paper near stuttgart.
my advice for anyone doing germany without an obu is to get as much information as possible from your employer regarding loading details once empty, plan and book your route in advance and try to book it the evening before.
try to encourage your employer to give you all the reload details and not get fobbed off with load this one first then call us, you could be left struggling to locate a maut machine to book an onward journey.
your employer may be encouraged by the knowledge of a 75 euro fine for the first offence.
allow as much time as possible to do the route you plan, remember you can travel the route before the allocated booking but not after it’s completion time.
mind you it’s only been in service since 1st January 1995 
