Toll Road Transponders and multi state travel

[Sculptor]

I did a quick search in this forum on "toll road" and "transponder, and didn't turn up much at all.  We plan to travel extensively in the eastern states this year.  Do any of you use an "EZ Pass" or "Sunpass" toll road transponder?  Those are the 2 that cover the most states in the east.  IF YOU DO use either system, is your mounting location as directed by the instructions?  I can imagine it might be better on the outside of the cab or at the bottom of the glass, not the top.

The other option is to run without it, and hope for the best.  I think it might be easier to get the transponder and register the HDT in the toll system ahead of time.  It might be more difficult to get charged incorrectly and try to fix it over the phone.

On the "other" other hand, I could just do my best to pay cash at the booth if there is one, or pay the bill and fine that comes in the mail, if there isn't a booth.

I would prefer to sign up in advance.  Running down the road all summer and letting the license plate camera system do the job will end up costing more, I'm sure.

Thanks in advance for your insight.

[jeffw]

I have an ez pass and it's mounted at the top of the windshield and it reads just fine.

Note that on most toll roads in the NE now, paying cash or by mail is quite a bit more expensive than via transponder.

 

[Sculptor]

15 minutes ago, jeffw said:

I have an ez pass and it's mounted at the top of the windshield and it reads just fine.

Note that on most toll roads in the NE now, paying cash or by mail is quite a bit more expensive than via transponder.

 

I wasn't sure about it being more expensive, now I am.  And thanks for the mounting experience too.

[docj]

If you do any traveling in Texas you will want an account with one of its toll systems (they are inter-linked, so which one doesn't matter.  If you don't have a transponder, travel around the major cities can be awkward and/or expensive.  Houston, for example, has numerous toll freeways with no payment booths.  If you don't have a toll pass you have to use "pay by mail" after they send you a bill.  It can get very expensive.

[hatrack]

We have the ezpass mounted inside at the top of the windshield. Have used it in Il, IN, OH, and NY worked everytime.

Ken....

[Jaydrvr]

If you have an HDT, it's important to place your transponder near the bottom of the windshield, or your visor may block it. I have colleagues who've been charged large amounts by NY for misreads. If you don't have a visor, no problem. Also, you no longer need a Sunpass for FL, your EZPass will now work there as well. A transponder will make your life dramatically easier if you visit NYC, Chicago, or the Northeast. There are virtually no cash booths there anymore. Chicago in particular, puts the onus on the driver to blindly figure out how much they owe for each toll gate and voluntarily submit it. Jay

Edited February 16, 2023 by Jaydrvr

[Parrformance]

DO NOT USE SUNPASS, they are the most inefficient ignorant imbeciles.

E Pass works well, I have the transponder at the bottom of the windshield in the center of the truck.

Volvo 780.

Sunpass could not be more worthless, you will spend hours on hold and finally prove the issue was their mistake, only to realize it was not worth the aggravation to challenge.

”Yeah it’s probably our fault, we will just charge you the normal toll fee”.

No apology for the hours wasted to prove their significant problems.

E pass answers the phone in minutes, courteous and grateful for your business. 
E Pass will set up the transponder/transponders specific to each vehicle, and mark them accordingly, then mail them to you. Super efficient.

Excellent to do business with.

SunPass, not so much, I’d rather go to the DMV on a Monday morning than to ever deal with SunPass again.

it’s an absolute White Hot Hate🤬

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Parrformance
Spelling

[dblr]

We use EZ Pass and do not mount it, we just lay it on the dashboard when needed as we use it in our HDT then in the Smart when needed, never had an issue. We have a $25 re-charge fee when needed but if we use it a lot (especially on the Pa Turnpike) they will up the amount on the re-charge, but if I remember before we head out on trips, I can check our balance and add to it in advance.

[Parrformance]

https://www.cfxway.com/uni/
 
19 states

[Sculptor]

6 minutes ago, Parrformance said:

https://www.cfxway.com/uni/
 
19 states

Had not seen this option.  Thanks.

[Parrformance]

The E Pass folks are a small organization tied into the EZ Pass with the UNI Transponder.  They are a pleasure to do business with.

I would highly recommend them, to get the Transponder through.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Has anyone used the Freedom Pass from TSD (the fuel card folks)? I think they are good in 26 states now with 5 more states coming online soon.

Freedom Pass (myopenroads.com)

 

[Parrformance]

2 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Has anyone used the Freedom Pass from TSD (the fuel card folks)? I think they are good in 26 states now with 5 more states coming online soon.

Freedom Pass (myopenroads.com)

I’ll check it out, they have earned my respect with their fuel card for sure!

[DanZemke]

3 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Has anyone used the Freedom Pass from TSD (the fuel card folks)? I think they are good in 26 states now with 5 more states coming online soon.

Freedom Pass (myopenroads.com)

 

Wow - thanks!  $70 for the device and $20 a year covering states I actually spend time in. 

After saying to myself that it seemed like a very convenient solution, I wondered why not Nevada and New Mexico.  Then it dawned on me - how many toll roads in New Mexico and Nevada?  Duh.

[Moresmoke]

I have an ez pass from the state of NH. Mounted top center in the Volvo on Velcro. Pull it out and put it in the Jeep at destinations as needed. Also take it with me when renting a car and just throw it on the dash.

Only time I have been mis charged, they skipped a trailer axle. I didn’t correct them.

If you go with an ezpass and don’t live in a sponsoring state, shop around some are easier to deal with than others. I went with NH as they were reasonable on costs and the in-laws live there.

[Sculptor]

21 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Has anyone used the Freedom Pass from TSD (the fuel card folks)? I think they are good in 26 states now with 5 more states coming online soon.

Freedom Pass (myopenroads.com)

 

This one is completely new to me also.  Thanks.

[rickeieio]

Being totally ignorant to the ways of toll roads, could someone enlighten me as to how the transponder tells the "reader" what vehicle it's in?  Or do cameras make that decision?

The only toll roads we've travelled are I-44 in Missouri/Oklahoma, a couple near Chicago, and one in Denver.  If cash isn't an option, co-pilot gets on her phone and pays the toll after we pass.

[docj]

58 minutes ago, rickeieio said:

Being totally ignorant to the ways of toll roads, could someone enlighten me as to how the transponder tells the "reader" what vehicle it's in?  Or do cameras make that decision?

Although the cameras do provide a "double check" I believe the primary verification is done by the transponder.  Essentially, the transponder has a serial number.  When it is "interrogated" by the toll system it responds by transmitting its number back.  It's really not that different from how a "tap to pay" credit card works.

In TX I know that the camera data must agree with the transponder data in order for the toll to be assessed.

Furthermore, some highways, such as the PA turnpike have weight sensors also so the correct toll is assessed for each vehicle.

Edited February 18, 2023 by docj

[Moresmoke]

On 2/17/2023 at 7:24 PM, rickeieio said:

Being totally ignorant to the ways of toll roads, could someone enlighten me as to how the transponder tells the "reader" what vehicle it's in?  Or do cameras make that decision?

The Ez pass toll roads can determine the vehicle type from their sensors. You do register the plate number and type of vehicle to the transponder, but you can have multiple vehicles on one transponder. The system automatically determines whether you have a trailer and how many axles it is.

[Jgbex]

I have a sunpass.  Everything seems to work as it should with no issues. 

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Jgbex

[Dutch_12078]

We have separate E-ZPasses for our car and motorhome. The motorhome transponder uses a specific vehicle code that tells states what the vehicle is, and on the NY State Thruway gets a special rate for motorhomes that charges us the same per axle rate as passenger cars.

[nawaa]

We have the EZ Pass, and it's worked well for us. I did the homework before we traveled to the east the first time, and New York had the best deal on the transponder at that time, so we bought one from New York. The different states have different rules, some charge for the transponder and some don't, and they have different rules about payment and balance in the account, etc.

We keep it in a cubby and pull it out when needed, and just place it on the dash in the middle of the windshield. It's worked well there so far.

I have an aversion to paying tolls, especially on interstates, which I feel should belong to all of us since our taxpayer dollars paid for them originally, but avoiding the tolls is more heartache than it's worth. There's a section in Kansas on I-70 that really gets my goat, but an extra hour going around and sitting in traffic and at all the stoplights just isn't worth the $3 the toll costs. Same in Illinois - there's almost no way to avoid the toll without going many, many miles out of your way. Not worth it at the current price of fuel. Tried once to avoid and take the "scenic" route and it added 2 hours to our drive, causing us to arrive in the dark. Next time, we paid the toll and drove straight through. Much better. 🤮😡