New data platform helps fleets better manage tolls

HELP Inc.’s Inform Tolling provides actionable data that carriers can use to better route trucks

Some large carriers can easily accumulate over $1 million a month in toll payments, said Drew Anderson, director of carrier relations for HELP, Inc. Because of that, there is a need to help them – and any other fleet large or small that deals with tolls – to better manage their tolling data and payments.

That’s why HELP created its Inform data tools, launching Inform Safety in 2016. This week at the North American Commercial Vehicle show in Atlanta, HELP has added to the Inform family with Inform Tolling.

HELP is the provider of PrePass automated tolling management solutions as well as weigh station bypass.

“Inform is not data for the sake of data,” Anderson noted. “I’ve talked to thousands of carriers and the problem is not a lack of data, it is a lack [of useful data].”

Inform Tolling provides fleets with a management tool that allows them to monitor tolls being paid, but also trends that can identify overpayment of tolls for various reasons. This kind of information can help fleets better plan routes and get drivers on a less costly road. For instance, Anderson noted that Inform Tolling’s exception reporting can identify if a driver is continually going through plate readers, which are more expensive than tolls charged through the PrePass transponder. Armed with this kind of information, fleets can look for alternate routes and potentially save thousands of dollars each month.

Inform Tolling provides data analytics so customers can see where truck tolls are being assessed and confirm they are getting the best toll rates possible, the company explained. It also identifies fraudulent toll charges quickly while giving fleets visibility and alerts to toll violations.

“If I am trying to manage all these agencies and gain all this information, it is very difficult [to wade through it],” Anderson said. “We are trying to help [fleets] manage their costs.”

It is currently in release in a beta version.

“This is the next evolution of the Inform Suite, advanced data analytics dashboards included at no additional cost for PrePass Plus customers,” said Karen Rasmussen, HELP president and CEO. “Help Inc. introduced the Inform Suite nearly a year ago with Inform Safety, which provides trucking fleets with quick, clear insights into the factors impacting their safety scores, which can affect their bypass rates at truck weigh stations and inspection sites.”

Inform Tolling works with PrePass Plus, the single transponder system that combines weigh station bypassing and electronic toll payment services under one account with consolidated invoices for both.

All the data that flows into Inform Tolling is visible through the customer dashboard. Custom alerts can be set up for monitoring tolling activity. Included alerts are for trucks entering restricted tolling areas, high-volume toll charges, and tolls on unassigned devices. The dashboard summarizes data from different tolling agencies, but customers can also drill down through filters to get more detailed information.