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Noordwijk, 13.11.2017. Trust is good. Control is better. This also applies when obtaining a Europe-wide toll box (EETS box). Gertjan Breij, Managing Director at DKV Euro Service for the Benelux, UK & Ireland explains the questions transporters should seek clarification about to be well prepared in the long term for Europe-wide toll settlement.
Mr. Breij, transporters have long wanted a toll box that can be used all over Europe. Is it finally about to arrive?
From 2018, we shall be able to offer our customers a future-proof EETS box in the form of our DKV BOX EUROPE. The on-board unit fulfils the latest requirements of all the EU member states and will be able to be used throughout Europe in future.
How does a transporter know whether a box he is being offered is EETS compliant and what does this term mean?
First of all, the toll service provider should be certified as an EETS provider or have the box sourced from an EETS provider. DKV EURO SERVICE sources the DKV BOX EUROPE from Toll4Europe GmbH, a certified EETS provider. As far as the box itself, the requirements that it comply with in order to be compatible with their toll systems were specified by each EU member in a “toll domain statement”. In summary: if a toll box does not comply with these country specific requirements, it cannot be used in that country. Any serious toll service provider should be able to prove that the box can be used as an EETS-compliant box – specifically in the long term – by producing a certificate to that effect. An important prerequisite is that the technical requirements are fulfilled.
What level of technology must an EETS box contain?
The box must be fitted with hybrid radio technology; i.e. it should be able to collect and settle both DSRC- and GNSS-based tolls (Dedicated Short Range Communications and Global Navigation Satellite System respectively). The box must have a manual axle button available for use with toll systems that base their charges on the number of axles, such as those in Germany and Austria. On the other hand, the Italian toll system requires an additional software module, because it is based on a different radio standard to that used in the other DSRC countries. The DKV BOX EUROPE is based on the latest generation of the Sitraffic Sensus Unit manufactured by Siemens. It already fulfils all known requirements. However, there are also some supposedly EETS boxes on the market that do not fulfil all the requirements and will have to be replaced again at some later date.
What factors other than the box have a role to play?
The questions I would be asking as a transporter are: What do I expect from my toll box? Do I want to install another new box if necessary after 1 or 2 years – in which case I would be starting all over again from scratch – or would I prefer a proven, future-proof box system, such as the DKV BOX EUROPE?
What advantages does the DKV BOX EUROPE offer?
The on-board unit is a plug-and-play solution and can be switched between vehicles as you like. Installation or moving the box to another vehicle is not a time-consuming process. Toll registration and switching countries are done quickly and easily on the DKV online portal. The data are sent over-the-air to the OBU; you no longer have to exchange your box. This saves considerable time and administrative costs, while preserving flexibility for the user. The DKV BOX EUROPE even has everything required to cope with future tasks, such as providing further value-added services, including comprehensive vehicle data analyses.
What countries will the box cover?
The objective is to be able to cover the toll in Belgium at the market launch in 2018. This will be immediately followed by Austria, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. At the moment, there has been no binding statement from the toll operators about implementing the EETS directive for Germany and Poland. For this reason, it is currently uncertain when the collection and settlement of tolls in these countries will be able to be offered with an EETS OBU. This applies to all companies that offer EETS services.
About DKV Euro Service DKV Euro Service has been one of the leading service providers to the logistics and transport industry for over 80 years. From cash-free service along the road at over 60,000 brand-independent acceptance points through toll billing to Value Added Tax refunds, DKV offers a host of services for cost optimization and fleet management on Europe’s roads. DKV is part of DKV MOBILITY SERVICES Group, with more than 800 employees. In 2015, the Group, which is represented in 42 countries, achieved a turnover of 5.8 billion euro. Currently, 2.5 million DKV Cards and On Board Units are used by over 120,000 customers. In 2016 the DKV Card was proclaimed Best Brand in the fuel and service cards category for the twelfth consecutive time.