To Run the Indiana/Ohio Toll Roads or Not
 

I work for a company that only allows running the Indiana Indiana Toll and Ohio Turnpike as required to meet a tight delivery schedule. Since I work for a flatbed company that pays hub mileage, bonus pay for LTL/OD loads, and I am getting good consistent miles(eg. 13,500 miles in May), I don't really have much to complain about(As a truckdriver I am entitled to complain :-) )

So generally I run, like today, from Lake Station, IN to Youngstown, OH by following route I94E=>IN49S=>US30E=>I69N=>I469S=>US30E=>I71N=>I76E =>I80E. This is a total of 384 miles(and BTW in Indiana there is 6 stoplights on IN49 and 28 lights on US30). By way of the toll roads it 355 miles and up to $59.25 for a fully load 5 axles truck. It took about 7.5 hours driving the slow route whereas the toll roads would take 5.5 to 6 hours.

So from a financial and business position which way is really more cost effective? Which way would burn less fuel(65mph toll roads/fewer miles vs. 0-55/65mph variable speeds/more miles)? What are the road taxes paid going the 2 different ways? Do trucks pay road taxes and toll on the turnpike?

I am sure there many other factors(eg. safety, maintenance costs, etc.), but they are hard to measure by cost.

take the toll road, all those stoplights on US 30 gets frigging annoying, you can average a steady speed on the toll road, where as on US30 you really cant.

Don't know if you are using EZ-Pass or not but you may want to figure that in your calculations.

The tolls are less with Ez-Pass and if traffic is light you don't even have to stop.

I agree with ordinary guy, Take the toll road(s).

The highway patrol in both states will pretty much leave you alone on the toll roads.
As long as you ain't speeding, driving junk, or doing something silly.
If you take the back roads, you take a bigger chance that they pull you over and give you a Level 2 right on the side of the road.
And don't bother with your trucker atlas telling you how to dodge the chickencoops cause the bears got mobile scales in their trunks now.
So you say "well my rig's in tip-top shape and my fuel tanks are shined up and all the lines in my comic book add up."
Don't matter, if they're looking for something, they're gonna find it.
Trust me on this one.
Plus you get free showers on the Ohio turnpike and they got laundry and nice places to eat and big parking lots.
Ohio turnpike has some of the best travel plazas in the nation for truckers.
That's just this driver's opinion.

Very well put Billy and I agree wholeheartedly!

:thumbsup:

Are you paying my tolls when the company doesn't pick them up? If I pay the tolls when the company doesn't I give almost half my mileage pay away(355 miles equals 16-17cpm in tolls).

Thanks, but the question is it really cheaper to run US30 vs toll roads when you figure in the tolls vs the possible extra fuel burned. Plus, company pays me hub mileage, that would figure into the equation. Are the road taxes reduced on the toll roads because it price into the toll charge?

Thanks anyhow.

I don't have any need to dodge chickencoops. I run good equipment and legal loads. Also, I keep my logbook up when crossing US30. Yes, they can always find something.

Again, the question is the financial cost of running the toll roads vs US30. Good company, but the current policy for the toll roads is bad(from the perceptive of the company driver). BTW, when I have an oversize load then I can't run the toll road.

Thanks again.

He is trying to say that you will burn more fuel stopping and starting rather than keeping a consistent speed. Sounds like you already know what you want to do, but want someone to agree with you.

ding,ding,ding we have a winner! plus, 28 stoplights kinda gets annoying afterwhile, i would pay for the tolls just so i dont have to stop so damn often...you wanted advice, so i gave it to you. good luck with whatever you want to do heh have fun going thru Valpo, Plymouth, and all those other little towns

Toll tickets can be written off for an OO, right?