So, I realized today there was no way I was going to be able to get my PrePass in on time, so I figured I would call PrePass and see about getting it switched to my name. Well I had quite a few questions and they had quite a few answers both about getting myself an account and the TMC account.

Your own account:
The transponders you have in your truck now can NEVER be used again. They were all reported lost or stolen and permanently deactivated. You need five trucks to get a PrePass toll account, however there is a program called Best Pass that an individual driver can get for tolls. The number is:518-458-1579

TMC account:
All transponders on TMC's account were reported lost or stolen and permanently deactivated. I was told this is what they do when an account is not paid.
I was told that there were NO system wide changes to the fee structure or the billing policy. It is possible however that if TMC had not been paying their account that a different fee structure or billing policy may have been instituted.
PrePass+ do NOT have a deadline for our transponders to be returned.
PrePass+ do NOT want our transponders back, ever. They are paperweights now as they have been peramently disabled.
PrePass+ does NOT require or take any kind of deposit for the transponders.
PrePass+ does not bill $100 for their transponders, however I was told that they can charge close to that amount however they have not collected any money yet for the TMC transponders and have not decided on a price for our transponders. All TMC transponders will cost the same whether they are returned or not.

She was kind enough to share with me that many companies DO charge their drivers a deposit on the transponders in case the drivers take off with them and $100 is not an unusual deposit fee.

Essentially what I was told by PrePass+ is that the return deadline is an entirely arbitrary date set by TMC, that it makes no difference if the transponders are even returned because TMC terminating the service in the manner they did rendered all the transponders worthless.

If what I was told by PrePass+ today is true then TMC is basically writing their own rules to take our money for their mistake. It's important to note that this is only what I was told by PrePass+, you can decide for yourself who to believe.

next thing you know, we will have to give our trucks back, and it will be Peterbilt's fault somehow.

Shady ########.

How dare you call them and find out their side? lol
Actually glad you did, maybe then anyone else wondering if this supposed change in plans endangered them of losing their transponders through their company can relax a little to know that the pricing hasn't changed.

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:: insert witty word thought here ::

Well, if they're lost/stolen, I can chuck mine out the window, right? I have little enough faith in TMC's reimbursement system as it is, I honestly doubt I'll see my $100 back.

Seriously, who is orchestrating these moves over at TMC? This stunt, if its true, is juvenile and ridiculous. "Oh, sorry...we've lost almost 3000 Prepass transponders...whoops!".

I worked for TMC from 9-07 to 2-09. was fired because i brought up the fact that they were traning students and layingoff at the exact same time. was anyone their # des monies & or columbia while they were doing this. I know 4 people that were in des monies while this was going on.
You would think we would (the ones laidoff & fired) have one hell of a lawsuite on our hands. but i need to get everyone together so to make
case if their is one. but i dont think you can exchange info on this forum.
if any one can give me any help on this that would be great.Thnx

CPLMAC2,

I think you pretty much summed it up. Somebody didn't pay their bills.

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Even the founding fathers were
labeled traitors in their time. Their
goal was to cast off a
tyrannical Government. -- SU 83
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Oh brother, here we go again. A year ago everyone was a lawyer because TMC had gone bankrupt. Come on, do you really expect us to believe that a phone jockey at ezpass shared confidential information with you about tmc's account??? Give me a break. If you can get this type of private info off a phone call I have an ex-wife I'm looking for to get my child-support!!............anyhow, I drive for tmc and I got my $100 back no problems. My fleet manager was pretty straight up with me and this is what he told me...........he said that ezpass got hosed by a couple of companies because ezpass let those bills get dragged out a month or two and so they decided to change the rules. He said ezpass wanted companies to start footing the money up front. Only problem is you're talking some mega bucks a carrier would have to give ezpass for THEM to draw interest off of when it's not their money in the first place. Basically he said the whole thing was a bad deal and so tmc is working on negotiating with them for the time being. He didn't know if we'd get it back or not, but hell it doesn't make any difference to me either way. If I have tolls I need money for I just call him up and get an advance ahead of time and as long as I get my receipts turned in within 30 days then the money doesn't come out of my check. My paychecks are still coming in, my comdata for fuel has never been declined and my fleet manager just sent me a message earlier today to make sure I get my truck wash done (guess it ain't that bad here if I'm still being told to wash my truck every week!!)........homeward bound tonight!!

2 bucks a week x 3,000 drivers = 6,0000 dollars.

How many of those trucks are on toll roads for that week? Personally, i'd go weeks at a time out west and not touch a toll road, but i still had to pay 2.00 for each of those weeks just to have the transponder.

They have probably been profiting from that 2.00 a week charge, and now that prepass wants their money up front it ruins their little scam, so they took their ball and went home.

Also, i diddn't see anything in CPL's post that would be considered confidential. The lady diddn't say TMC diddn't pay their bills, she said that it MIGHT have been an issue as they were reported lost or stolen, and that's what they do when someone doesn't pay their bill.

Just food for thought. I was a company man like you once too, guess where it got me?

I'm no company man I'm just a driver who actually ENJOYS who I work for. I've been on the road for a long, long time and I've driven for a lot of companies. tmc isn't perfect, but they sure have treated me fairly. Everything has always been up front and they don't pull any punches which is better than most companies who tell you one thing and then another. Case in point; you mention the $2 fee that you still paid even though you didn't use it. Why don't you also mention the fact that tmc doesn't require you to purchase a transponder. It's YOUR choice to do this. you acknowleged just like i did that if you wanted to use it then here's the cost. Plain and simple, no secrets. i was asked if i wanted it or not. i could have said no and I wouldn't have had to pay the fee, but I chose too because I wanted too. A buddy of mine didn't want ezpass so he didn't take it. Who cares! One of these drivers above is on another post right now complaining about paying a comchek fee for a cash advance. Gee, last time I checked trucking companies are not banks, but yet some still give out advances like they're a check cashing service or something. if you get your advance while fueling your truck you don't even have a comchek fee anyway. Ever notice that you very seldom see people like me on these blogs actually saying, hey drivers, I really like who I work for! No, it's just moaners and whiners for the most part.