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Current note: |
With the introduction of HGV tolling on federal motorways in 2005, the Federal Government made a system change, moving away from the funding of federal trunk road construction through taxation and towards the "user pays" principle. Since then, the tolling scheme has been widened in two stages (on 1 August 2012 and 1 July 2015) to cover around 2,300 km of four-lane federal highways. In addition, on 1 October 2015, the weight threshold for vehicles subject to tolls was lowered from 12 to 7.5 tonnes maximum permissible weight.
In a third stage, HGVs have had to pay tolls for the use of all the approximately 40,000 km of federal highways since 1 July 2018. The legal basis of these measures is the Fourth Federal Trunk Road Toll (Amendment) Act of 27 March 2017 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 564). Uniform toll rates apply on federal motorways and federal highways.
Since 2011, the revenue generated by the HGV tolling scheme – after deduction of the costs for collection, enforcement and toll compensation measures – has been used exclusively for the federal trunk roads. In 2023, the scheme generated about 7.4 billion euros. Given the urgent need for investment in the structural maintenance and upgrading of the transport network, the tolling scheme makes a major contribution to transport infrastructure funding.
By varying the toll rates according to the pollutants the vehicles emit, the tolling scheme also provides hauliers with an incentive to efficiently deploy less polluting vehicles and supports a modal shift of freight traffic to the rail and waterway modes.
In addition, weight categories were introduced on 1 January 2019. Especially with regard to lighter commercial vehicles with a maximum permissible weight between 7.5 tonnes and 18 tonnes, this categorization, in comparison with the former categorization by the number of axles, further contributes to allocating infrastructure costs more fairly among road users.
On 1 December 2023 the CO2 variation of the HGV toll was introduced and the technically permissible maximum laden mass became the relevant data for determination of the liability to toll and the correct toll tariff.
Since 1 December 2023 vehicles are liable to toll that are intended or used for the carriage of goods and have a technically permissible maximum laden mass of at least 7,5 tonnes. In case of vehicle combinations, the liability to pay toll exists, where the motor vehicle has a technically permissible maximum laden mass exceeding 3,5 tonnes.
From 1 July 2024 vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass exceeding 3,5 tonnes will become liable to toll. At the same time a new exemption from toll for craftsmen enters into force. According to the new § 1 para 2 sentence 1 number 10 of the Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass exceeding 3,5 tonnes and less than 7,5 tonnes will be exempted from toll that are used for carrying materials, equipment or machinery for the driver’s use in the course of the driver’s work as craftsman or profession comparable to a craftsman, or for delivering goods which are produced on a craft basis, where the transport is not effected for hire or reward.
The Federal Logistics and Mobility Office has published a list of craftsmen professions, for which the exemption applies. Companies can report their vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass of more than 3,5 and less than 7,5 tonnes, for whose use the requirements of the exemption of craftsmen is fulfilled by using the online reporting tool of the main service provider Toll Collect GmbH. For further information about the exemption for craftsmen see http://www.balm.bund.de and http://www.toll-collect.de.
The Federal Trunk Road Toll Act further provides for toll exemptions zero emission vehicles in order to support the market ramp-up of these vehicles.
Zero emission vehicles (e.g. electrically powered vehicles) are completely exempt from HGV tolls until the end of 2025 and zero emission vehicles with a technically permissible maximum laden mass up to 4,25 tonnes are exempted indefinitely. This includes all-battery electric vehicles, externally chargeable hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell powered vehicles.
In Europe, there are currently different tolling systems using different toll collection equipment. The European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) provides the possibility of paying HGV tolls across borders on tolled European roads with only one on-board unit and one EETS provider. Further information (in German) on the European Electronic Toll Service can be found on the Federal Office for Goods Transport's website.
Collecting tolls and enforcing payment
The Toll Collect company was awarded the contract for toll collection and automatic checking using enforcement gantries. Users wishing to participate in the automatic collection of tolls using an on-board unit have to register with Toll Collect. Comprehensive information on the procedure and on the functions of Toll Collect can be found on the company's website. As an alternative, it is possible to register with an approved in Germany EETS provider (see above) and to participate via this service in the automatic collection of tolls using an on-board unit.
With its satellite and mobile communications-based tolling technology, Germany has one of the most modern tolling systems in the world. First and foremost, this means that new route and charge data can be transferred without the need for sophisticated roadside infrastructure and without the vehicles having to visit a garage. The vehicle parameters that are relevant to the collection of tolls as well as the journey data are transmitted in encrypted form by the on-board unit to Toll Collect’s data processing centre. The toll is calculated there. Payment of the tolls is monitored by stationary automatic enforcement gantries on motorways and by enforcement posts on federal highways. In addition, the Federal Logistics and Mobility Office has mobile enforcement vehicles and portable enforcement gantries, which are used on bridges over federal motorways and federal highways. Users who pay no toll or an incorrect amount are committing an administrative offence and have to pay a penalty charge or fine in addition to recovery of the toll.
The Federal Trunk Road Toll Act stipulates that data generated in connection with tolling may only be used for the specified purpose. Data collected at enforcement gantries or enforcement posts must be erased immediately after the enforcement action if the vehicle is not subject to tolls. Moreover, images of vehicles and registration number data may be processed basically only for the purpose of tolling.
Infrastructure cost study as a basis for calculating toll rates
In accordance with the relevant EU directive the level of HGV tolls must be based on the actual infrastructure costs. These are primarily the costs of constructing, upgrading, maintaining and operating the road network.
The statement of infrastructure costs was created in 2022 for the period from 2023 to 2027. The calculation methodology used for the 2002, 2007 and 2013 statements of infrastructure costs was continued. Like in the previous statement of infrastructure costs, external costs caused by air and noise pollution have also been calculated. Under the Infrastructure Charging Directive, these external costs may additionally be allocated to infrastructure costs.
Financial assistance programmes for the harmonization of tolling systems
Given the conditions of competition in Europe, the Federal Government launched two open-ended programmes in 2009 to ease the burden on the German road haulage industry.
The (Environmental Protection and Safety) Programme to Promote Safety and Environmental Protection in Road Haulage Companies Operating Heavy Goods Vehicles (in German) pursues the objectives of permanently enhancing road haulage safety and reducing the adverse environmental impact of road haulage.
The aims of the Programme to Promote Initial and Continuing Training, Skills Development and Employment in Road Haulage Companies Operating Heavy Goods Vehicles (in German) are the development of sector-specific skills among the workforce and a reduction in the shortage of mobile workers.
Legal bases
- Bundesfernstraßenmautgesetz [Federal Trunk Road Toll Act] (in German)
- Toll System Act (in German)
Lkw-Mautverordnung [HGV Toll Regulations] (in German)
Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung [German Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing Regulations] (in German)
