Truck toll in Germany: Tariff change successfully introduced

Berlin, 02.01.2019

As of midnight yesterday the new toll rates apply in Germany for vehicles and vehicle combinations with a gross vehicle weight of 7.5 tonnes or more. The toll rate per kilometre is composed of three partial toll rates: infrastructure costs corresponding to the weight class of the vehicle or of the vehicle combination subject to toll, the air pollution costs incurred, depending on the emission class of the vehicle, and the costs for noise pollution of 0.002 euro per kilometre.

From now on, truck drivers must correctly set the weight class as part of their duties to cooperate. The weight must be organised in the following weight classes: equal to/greater than 7.5–11.99 tonnes gross vehicle weight, equal to/greater than 12 to 18 tonnes gross vehicle weight and greater than 18 tonnes gross vehicle weight. From a gross vehicle weight of over 18 tonnes, up to 3 axles or 4 or more axles are additionally distinguished, which the truck driver must enter into the On-Board Unit. It is possible for vehicles and vehicle combinations up to 18 tonnes gross vehicle weight to set the number of axles on a voluntary basis.

To determine the gross vehicle weight of vehicle combinations, the gross vehicle weight of individual vehicles is added, contrary to the German Road Traffic Registration Regulations. Support and fifth-wheel loads are not included.

Electric trucks are exempt from the truck toll; trucks operated with natural gas are also exempt from it until the end of 2020.

The new tariffs were added to the toll system in the weeks before Christmas. Customers were already able to log on manually – via an app, PC or at a terminal – the day before.

The toll rates are set down in the German Federal Trunk Road Toll Act (BFStrMG) and are based on the results of the report on infrastructure costs (Wegekostengutachten) published in spring 2018.