Germany

The MAUT

In January 2005 Germany introduced a distance-based toll for all trucks of twelve tonnes gross vehicle weight and above. Rapid growth in the volume of freight transport had placed a tremendous burden on German motorways and has resulted in increased investment requirements for maintenance and expansion.

The level of the toll is based on the emissions class and number of axles on the truck and on the distance travelled on the toll route.

Satellite based charging
The automatic system is based on a combination of mobile telecommunications technology (GSM) and GPS, the satellite-based Global Positioning System. The main element of the automatic system is the On-Board Unit (OBU). 90 percent of all trucks passing through Germany are using the automatic system, where invoices are sent automatically as well.

Less CO2 and air pollution
The MAUT have given an incitement to buy trucks that are more environmentally friendly. Results have shown, that the number of trucks driving empty is reduced 6 percent, and 6 percent of the goods is shifted to railroads.