How are expressway toll fees calculated?
3 Answers
Highway toll fees are calculated based on the following standards: 1. Small vehicles: Trucks under 2 tons (including 2 tons) and passenger vehicles with 20 seats or less, 0.45 yuan/km; 2. Medium vehicles: Trucks between 2 tons and 7 tons (including 7 tons) and passenger vehicles with 21 to 50 seats, 0.90 yuan/km; 3. Large vehicles: Trucks between 7 tons and 20 tons (including 20 tons), passenger vehicles with 51 seats or more, and sleeper buses, 1.462 yuan/km; 4. Extra-large vehicles: Trucks over 20 tons and container trucks, 2.138 yuan/km.
After driving for over a decade, I've figured out highway tolls mainly depend on three key factors: vehicle type, distance, and road section characteristics. Take my 5-seat sedan for example – the toll ranges from 0.4 to 0.6 yuan per kilometer depending on the province. A 100km drive in Zhejiang costs about 40 yuan, while the same distance in Guangdong exceeds 50 yuan. For trucks, it's calculated by axle count and weight – a fully-loaded six-axle truck pays over 600 yuan for 300km. Tunnels and bridges charge extra, with the Hangzhou Bay Bridge's 70 yuan surcharge still fresh in my memory. The current 5% ETC discount makes things easier. I recommend checking toll fees using navigation apps by inputting your vehicle type before departure to avoid cash shortages.
We truck drivers care most about the toll calculation method, which has become more transparent since the axle-based charging reform. For my four-axle truck, the base rate is 1.8 yuan per kilometer, but the actual cost depends on three factors: cargo load (a 15% higher rate for full loads compared to empty trucks), provincial differences (Guangdong charges 0.2 yuan more per kilometer than Jiangxi), and special sections (a 30-yuan surcharge is always applied at the Humen Bridge). On the dedicated Shanghai-Chengdu route spanning 2,200 kilometers, the toll amounts to nearly 4,000 yuan, with 10% coming from additional charges for various bridges and tunnels. Installing ETC not only provides a 2% discount but also automatically consolidates calculations at provincial border toll stations, saving half an hour compared to the past.
