A review of European truck tolling schemes and assessment of their possible impact on logistics systems

Truck tolling schemes have been introduced in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Britain was planning to launch a lorry road user charging system in 2008, though this has been indefinitely delayed. This paper reviews the various schemes and reveals wide differences in their objectives, coverage, technology, procedures and toll levels. The proposed British system would have been the most complex, allowing tolls to be varied by vehicle type, class of road, geographical area and time of day. The paper also assesses the possible effects of lorry road-user charging on a range of logistical variables, including system design, freight modal choice, truck utilisation, vehicle routing and the scheduling of deliveries. It shows how its logistical effects will depend on the nature of the tolling scheme and level of charges.