Companies, Not Drivers, Avoiding Toll Roads

Do all companies want drivers to take secondary routes in order to save money on tolls? Example: I’ve been routed over a 55 mile section of two lane road several times that took me off I-80 before I hit the toll section. Other trucks just keep going on I-80. The secondary route has everything drivers love. Little towns, stoplights, a roundabout, road teaming with Amish, farm equipment, lots of slow local traffic, school zones, multiple speed limit changes and the plowing is not given a high priority in the winter. The last trip I made took two full hours to go the 55 miles. In other words it has hazards the interstate doesn’t. And all to save on tolls but it costs the drivers time and mileage. Is this a common industry practice?

My company has never said a word to me about not taking toll roads now granted sometimes the Practical miles do include two lane roads, but my trainer told me whenever possible take the interstates or tolls it's going to be faster. So that's what I do and I've never heard a word from my dispatcher or anyone else telling me not too.

Who do you drive for? Swift pays all tolls. Do you even have an electronic pre pass device for scales and toll roads? That sounds a bit penny wise and pound foolish to me. What a hassle.

Junkyard K9, what is your company? At my company following the dispatched route is mandatory. I wish we had veto power.

Maybe Jamie can comment on this.

CFI pays all the tolls. We have Elite Pass for tolls and weigh stations. I can take any toll road if needed.

Junkyard K9, what is your company? At my company following the dispatched route is mandatory. I wish we had veto power.

Maybe Jamie can comment on this.

I work for Butler transport out of Kansas City Kansas and we also have the prepass Elite pass so I just drive through the tolls I don't have to pay or get any receipts. And like some of the others on here and I would think Schneider has that but we get the green or red light when I come up on the weigh stations too.

I drive for Schneider. And don’t get me wrong, I think Schneider is a great company. I just wonder about this one policy. We have the EZ Pass and the K- Pass so the company pays all tolls.

I just think that if one truck hits an Amish buggy, all the toll savings would be in vain.

Junkyard K9, I see you got a new photo. Nice! That’s not Photoshopped is it? LOL

Schneider has never said anything to me about taking toll roads and I do just to avoid the small backroad highways and it has saved me a lot of time. I don't always follow their route, only when I get off an interstate as sometimes it'll have you go down some small highways just to save a few miles but it adds a lot of time on to the trip due to stop lights, slow traffic and no passing lanes, etc.

During training out of the West Memphis OC, I was told the route provided by Schneider is the suggested route but you don't have to follow it. Now of course they dont want you to go an extra 100-200 miles to avoid highways but no one has never said anything to me when I go out of route and I do almost every dispatch to avoid small highways and towns when possible.

Sorry just woke up but hopefully I made sense.