Capt._Chaos
November 17th, 2005, 21:12
Driving in some areas of the country where it's necessary to run toll roads is often a necessary evil for many of us.
Whether it's the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the New York Thruway, Florida's Turnpike, Beltway 8 around Houston, or any of the toll roads elsewhere in the country, going through a Toll Plaza is often a risky situation.
When approaching a toll booth, be sure you are heading through the correct lane. Many of them are often marked "Cars Only", "Cash Only", and, depending on where you're at, transponder-specific lanes. Pay close attention to the traffic around you, and watch for people attempting to jump ahead of you. Approach the booth slowly, as the clearance between the booths and your mirrors will be TIGHT.
If your assigned truck is equipped with toll transponders, get familiar with them and know where they will be used. Here's a partial list of the most commnly used transponders:
EZ-Pass (for the states of New York, Massachussetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other participating states in the North East region. Recently, Illinois had EZ-Pass linked to work with their I-Pass system).
PikePass (for the Oklahoma toll roads).
K-Tag (for the Kansas Turnpike).
SunPass (for the toll roads in Florida).
As you prepare to leave the toll booth once you have paid your toll, keep in mind that the traffic from all the open toll booths is going to be "bottleknecked" into 2-4 lanes, and be aware of the presence of aggressive drivers who will literally act as if they're in a drag race to get ahead of a truck, or other traffic.
Be safe out there!
Whether it's the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the New York Thruway, Florida's Turnpike, Beltway 8 around Houston, or any of the toll roads elsewhere in the country, going through a Toll Plaza is often a risky situation.
When approaching a toll booth, be sure you are heading through the correct lane. Many of them are often marked "Cars Only", "Cash Only", and, depending on where you're at, transponder-specific lanes. Pay close attention to the traffic around you, and watch for people attempting to jump ahead of you. Approach the booth slowly, as the clearance between the booths and your mirrors will be TIGHT.
If your assigned truck is equipped with toll transponders, get familiar with them and know where they will be used. Here's a partial list of the most commnly used transponders:
EZ-Pass (for the states of New York, Massachussetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and other participating states in the North East region. Recently, Illinois had EZ-Pass linked to work with their I-Pass system).
PikePass (for the Oklahoma toll roads).
K-Tag (for the Kansas Turnpike).
SunPass (for the toll roads in Florida).
As you prepare to leave the toll booth once you have paid your toll, keep in mind that the traffic from all the open toll booths is going to be "bottleknecked" into 2-4 lanes, and be aware of the presence of aggressive drivers who will literally act as if they're in a drag race to get ahead of a truck, or other traffic.
Be safe out there!