German Truck Toll Calculator: HGV Toll per Route

How does the German truck toll work?

The German HGV toll applies on motorways and federal roads for vehicles above 3.5 t technically permissible maximum laden mass. The per-km rate consists of four components: infrastructure, air pollution, noise, and – since December 2023 – a CO₂ surcharge. The heavier the vehicle and the worse its CO₂ emission class, the higher the rate.

Zero-emission trucks (CO₂ class 5) are fully toll-exempt until 30 June 2031. The rates in this calculator match the official Toll Collect table for Euro VI vehicles – the standard case for modern diesel trucks. Billing follows the tolled network; actually tolled kilometres can differ from the total route.

For pricing this means the toll is not a flat uplift but a distance-dependent line item, running from roughly 11 to 35 ct per kilometre depending on the vehicle. On a Cologne–Hamburg lane the CO₂ class alone accounts for well over 30 € – reason enough to know it before quoting.

Calculate the truck toll in three steps

1. 1

   Establish the tolled kilometres

   It is not the total distance that counts but the share on motorways and federal highways. Urban and access kilometres stay out – on short lanes that easily makes a 20% difference.

2. 2

   Pick weight class and axle count

   What matters is the technically permissible maximum laden mass, not the current load. Above 18 t the axle count decides the rate too – a five-axle rig pays more than a three-axle one.

3. 3

   Enter the CO₂ emission class

   The CO₂ class is in the vehicle documentation and is registered with the toll operator. Class 1 is the default; class 5 (zero-emission) is toll-exempt until 30 June 2031.

Where the toll applies, and to whom

All motorways and, since 2018, all federal highways are tolled – roughly 52,000 kilometres. State, district and municipal roads are toll-free. Crossing a federal highway costs nothing; driving along it is tolled from the first kilometre.

Liability starts above 3.5 t technically permissible maximum laden mass. Since 1 July 2024 that includes vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 t – a change that caught many trade and courier businesses for the first time. What counts is the registered mass, not the actual weight.

These vehicles are exempt

• buses and coaches
• agricultural and forestry vehicles with a design speed up to 40 km/h
• fire service, ambulance, civil protection and police vehicles
• vehicles of the Bundeswehr and allied forces
• zero-emission vehicles (CO₂ class 5) until 30 June 2031

The trade-business exemption

Vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 t are exempt when used by a registered trade business carrying material, equipment or machinery needed to carry out the trade – or goods manufactured by that business. Pure goods delivery does not qualify: selling and delivering goods, rather than installing them as part of a trade service, is tolled. The business must be entered in the German trade register or belong to a trade-like sector, and must carry proof for roadside checks.

What the CO₂ class does – and how to improve it

The CO₂ emission class ranks a vehicle by its CO₂ output relative to a reference value for its vehicle group. Class 1 is the default for older and average vehicles, classes 2 to 4 require progressively stricter reductions, and class 5 means zero-emission. The gap is material: for a five-axle rig, class 1 and class 4 differ by roughly 8 ct per kilometre – on 100,000 annual kilometres, a five-figure sum. Classification runs through the vehicle documentation and must be registered with the toll operator; without proof, class 1 is billed automatically.

How the toll is paid

The toll is a deductible business expense and input-VAT eligible. Subcontractors should settle contractually who bears it – passing it through to the client is the norm.

What happens when the toll is missing

The Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM) checks automatically via control gantries, mobile patrols and at company premises. Anyone who has not booked, or booked too low, pays the toll retrospectively – if necessary as a flat estimate over an assumed distance – plus a fine. Incorrect weight or CO₂ class declarations are treated as non-payment even when unintentional. For fleets the problem is therefore less the individual fine than the back-claim across a longer audit period.