Best routes to avoid Toll roads?

With all due respect, how can you have 15 years of experience and ask these questions? If your experience is local, shouldn't you consider an OTR driving job before you look at owning a truck?

The questions you ask are not nearly as important as the ones you don't ask.

The roads you run are dependent on the shipping lanes you run. The shipping lanes you run are dependent on the rates you need to be profitable and your cost of operation. As for tolls, if you can't get the cost of tolls factored into the rate, don't take the load. You can waste a lot of time and fuel trying to find a better route.

There isn't much chance you can get a comprehensive overview of the US in a few minutes as far as routing. You plan each trip before you depart. You learn traffic patterns as you go and try to avoid large metropolitan areas during rush hour. Traffic flows into the city in the morning and out of the city in the afternoon.

As for speed traps, there may be a few classics but for the most part it is ever changing. By watching my local area, I can tell you each individual officer has his favorite spot/s that yield high results. Why do you concern yourself with this?

In the present climate of regulations and CSA, you won't be driving long if speed is your major consideration. For the most part, I have little problem running +/- 3 or 4 MPH of the speed limit. If you hit an area where enforcement is the plan of the day, you can get ticketed for 1 or 2 over the limit.

Fuel consumption is directly related to speed and will have as much constraint on speed as the posted limit. Speed can vary fuel mileage by 1.0 MPG. This can in turn increase your fuel cost by 0.10 CPM (Cents Per Mile). With fuel at $3.95 per gallon, 6.8 MPG is a cost of 0.58 CPM and 5.8 MPG is a cost of 0.68 CPM. You can often see this difference between 60 MPH and 75 MPH. This could be $12,000 per year in your pocket. You have to analyze each situation as slow isn't always better than another load. Still fast as general rule is out because of fuel mileage and regulation.

You surely don't plan to operate on routes that prohibit trucks, do you?

If you plan to purchase a truck and lease onto a company you will find they will require recent verifiable OTR experience.

If you plan to purchase a truck and trailer and get your authority, you will find you need a huge chunk of operating capital.

 

Ohio Turnpike is expensive. But you can run 70 if you feel the need.

 

It all depends where you are and where you are going. There are many scenario's.

Many run US20 and US30 to dodge I-80 across IN and OH.

Dodging Chicagoland to or from Milwaukee area, many run I-94 and US41. From Chicago towards Minneapolis I'll run I-94 to I-90 to I-290 to 53 to 12 to I-43 to 14 to I-90/39

Jersey area, you can run 9 and I-295

There's many more. Can you say redlight?

 

A lot of these out of the way routes you will burn more fuel, put more wear and tear (stop and go) and take more time than what its worth. When taking a load consider the route and adjust the rates to accommodate for tolls, mountains and back road routes

 

The Pa tpk is very expensive so drivers will either utilize I80 across the top of Pa or if heading east from Ohio they will run I70 to I79 south to I68 East to I70 East to I81 North into Pa. In Harrisburg take I581E to I83N to I283S to SR283 east to Us 30 East. The route is longer but is predominantly 4 lane highways and interstate grade.

The only free route out of New Jersey is the I95 south loop around Trenton NJ.

If heading north from Virginia along I95 into the northeast you can dodge the Ft McHenry tunnel, Maryland toll barrier and Delaware toll by using US301/US50E over the bay bridge then follow US301North along the eastern shore of Maryland. Yes there is a toll at the bay bridge heading eastbound but that is 1 toll compared to 3. Heading back south you can reverse the directions and it is free to go back over the bay bridge.

As others have already stated you can get better info if you are more specific about the routes and areas you intend to travel in.

 

lol..the Delaware bridge,less than a mile long 27$

 

Could be worse, brooklyn to staten island on the verrezano, $70. Its about the same distance as the delaware memorial.

 

Hello drivers. Should factor in any toll fair for your route. EZ Pass in some states is a small break. Leased to a company the office folks can plan your route for you if you request it. Being the "boss" is not always good. I would advise some more looking into being a OO before you take that step.

 

thats why you get huge money to go into the city or tell them to shove it.