Indiana, Ohio and PA Turnpike question.

[OhMari]

This weekend we had a moto-cross race in PA, just east of Pittsburg. We drive a big truck and pull a 46 ft trailer.
This was his 2nd race in PA and he said the tolls on the turnpike would be about $60 each way.
So, on the way out, it ended up being $71. My son blamed me because we made more stops, and he said you pay for how long you are on the turnpike.

I disagreed with him. What happens when you want to really pull over and take a 2 hour nap. And I also said people would really be speeding to make better time.

On the way back it was the same price.

I wish there was a way to avoid the turnpikes, but we would have had to go an extra 120 miles or 2 hours out of our way to avoid them. When you are sitting in a truck 12 hours, no one wanted to sit another 2. I lost that war.

So, what is it,
Time or mileage.

 

[Scot-n-Michelle]

pretty sure it is mileage and possibley weight or axels on vechicles?? Don't think time has anything to do with it. Could be wrong though.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

I drive on the ohio turnpike and I get charged by the mileage.

 

[Hannathy]

It is miles BUT if you get on and off it will be more than going straight thru.
Each time you go on and off you pay a bit of a "surcharge" for lack of better word.

 

[Moomduck1]

On the PA turnpike, it is mileage. And it doesn't make a difference how many times you get off/on. It adds up to the same.

 

[onelilspark]

PA also just increased their tolls...well in the past year or two. So the $60 figure could be coming from a different year.

ETA: it has nothing to do with time. Otherwise you'd have a lot of angry people when I was stopped outside of Toledo one year for over 2 hours.

 

[OhMari]

Thanks everyone. We were looking at all the receipts and each one had the time on/off. They probably do that to for statistics.

 

[nuttypretzel]

The rate is based on vehicle weight and number of axles. You drive across a treadle scale when you pass through the toll booth and they weigh the vehicle. The total fare is the rate times the number of miles. Exit ramp distances don’t count so the overall fare is the same even if you exit along the way.

 

[OhMari]

The rate is based on vehicle weight and number of axles. You drive across a treadle scale when you pass through the toll booth and they weigh the vehicle. The total fare is the rate times the number of miles. Exit ramp distances don’t count so the overall fare is the same even if you exit along the way.

Really, the weight is interesting. We were carrying a really heavy load.
Indiana charged us the most.

Thank goodness we totally avoid tolls in Chicago. We pull our trailer right past the big city on I94 and we even get off before the sneak the 2 tolls in there and go on ole highway 41 right up to the WI border and get back on
I90/94.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Yup..weight and distance...not time!

I drove across part of Indiana yesterday from La Grange to Ohio for $1.75 then all of Ohio for $10.25 and PA until downingtown exit for $20...all in a standard car. With three kids we stop A LOT! If they charged for time resting I would be paying a fortune!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I avoid the Ohio turnpike by takeing RT76 in Ohio which ends up becoming the PA turnpike. No tolls on the Ohio section. Plus there are many options for getting off and taking a break.

 

[Laz]

Really, the weight is interesting. We were carrying a really heavy load.
Indiana charged us the most.

Thank goodness we totally avoid tolls in Chicago. We pull our trailer right past the big city on I94 and we even get off before the sneak the 2 tolls in there and go on ole highway 41 right up to the WI border and get back on
I90/94.

Indiana toll road is leased to a private company. That is probably why is cost the most.

 

[jpatro21]

I travel the PA Turnpike everyday and I can say for a fact it is mileage. Each Exit has a certain fee associated with it. The fee only changes if you enter at a different entrance. The closer to your destination the cheaper the toll is. I even sometimes stop off at an earlier exit to get food from WAWA (there are none around my way) and get back on and the total of the fees are the same as if I drove straight through without stopping. Hope this helps.

 

[kneemeister]

In Ohio, for example the Min. toll between two exits it $.50 so only if you get on and off at every exit is there a surcharge. Also Indiana for example gives a large discount for using I-Zoom (EZ-Pass) ie. Cash Eastpoint to Angola is .75 and I-Zoom is .45.

All toll roads do have a cut off time that the ticket "expires" and you pay Full to the furthest exit, same as a lost ticket. But to do that you would have to take like 20 hrs to cross Ohio. Infact Ohio actually has full Overnight hookups for RVs in the service plazas.

Wouldn't it suck if they had a min. time and if you came in under it you get "that will be 15.00 toll and a $150 fine, thank you very much!"