German Lkw-Maut
Road toll audit: the most expensive class applies by default
In the German Maut system, a vehicle without submitted proof of conformity is billed at the most expensive CO2 class, and the operator never upgrades it on its own initiative. We check your invoices against your vehicle documents and show where you're paying more than you have to.
What we don't do. We don't file the refund application or the reclassification request on your behalf. We detect discrepancies, calculate the amount, and prepare the substantiation — you submit the application on the BALM portal yourself. The success fee is calculated on the amount BALM actually refunded to you.
This module is for the carrier with its own fleet, not the cargo owner or forwarder, unlike our other audit services. There's no conflict of interest — the other side here is the toll operator (Toll Collect/EETS), not your client.
How it works
01You upload invoices and documents
Monthly Toll Collect or EETS provider invoices and vehicle registration certificates. If you have a CoC or CIF — those too.
02We check across five dimensions
CO2 class eligibility, axle and weight class match, Euro class, duplicates, and billed mileage exceeding recorded mileage.
03You get the substantiation
For every finding — vehicle, period, rate applied, correct rate, difference, and a reference to the specific spot in the document. Not a general suspicion. All of it downloads as a PDF audit report — including what was checked and found correct. It is a report, not a claim: you submit that to the carrier under your own contract.
Why the most expensive class applies by default
Since December 2023, the Maut rate has consisted of four components, one of which is CO2. A vehicle is assigned to one of five CO2 classes based on documents the owner submits.
Without submitted proof, the first, most expensive class applies automatically. The operator never upgrades you to a better class on its own initiative. Vehicles first registered since 1 July 2019 can be reclassified upon submission of a registration certificate, CoC, or CIF.
This isn't a billing error. It's the default value that stays in effect until someone submits documents.
What this means in money
This is an illustrative calculation based on publicly published rates, not confirmed statistics. Your actual result depends on your fleet composition, kilometres driven, and each vehicle's registration date.
Deadline
The refund claim expires at the end of the third calendar year after it arises. So the first audit covers a three-year archive, and each year that passes drops out of that window irrecoverably.
Two different outcomes
Backward-looking — a refund for three years. A one-time amount, whose size depends on the discrepancy found.
Forward-looking — reclassification. The difference repeats every year the vehicle remains in service. It's the bigger result, but it isn't recovered money, so no success fee applies to it.
Pricing
Historic audit — a three-year archive. 25% of the amount actually recovered (capped at €5,000/case, minimum €100), or a fixed price of €1,490 for an archive audit. If nothing is recovered (with the success-fee option) — €0. For German clients, only the fixed price is available. Minimum scope — 10 vehicles, since BALM charges a €20 handling fee per registration plate.
Forward-looking reclassification — €199 per vehicle, one-time. We prepare the reclassification substantiation, you submit the request to the operator yourself. No success fee applies: it isn't recovered money, it's a reduced future rate.
Ongoing monitoring — €4.90/mo per vehicle. Every new invoice is checked automatically. If a new vehicle is added at CO2 class 1 by default, you get an alert.
Before you start: how long you have to bring a claim — the scope of a historic audit is limited by the limitation period, not by your archive.
Activated after a short call, not instant self-service.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the toll provider's report?
No. Toll Collect and EETS providers are the party issuing the invoice. They report how much you paid, but they don't check whether the rate was correct — auditing your own work isn't possible.
Do I need to switch toll providers?
No. We work with any provider's invoices and never touch the provider relationship.
What if I don't have a CoC document?
Then we can't run the CO2 class eligibility check and don't generate a finding — we never guess a value. A CoC can be ordered from the manufacturer.
How long are uploaded documents kept?
Original documents are kept for 24 months from upload, customs documents for 40 months. After the period expires the original file is deleted automatically, the data extracted from it remains. If you want a specific document removed earlier (GDPR Art. 17), contact us by email.
Can you also check my vehicles' axle count or Euro class match, not just CO2?
Yes — the axle/weight and Euro class checks run in parallel with the CO2 check, but they're always flagged as "needs review", not a confirmed finding, because a mismatch on a vehicle combination with changing composition isn't always an error.
What is needed
- Monthly toll invoices (required)
If you do not have it: Without the invoices the audit cannot be carried out. - Vehicle registration certificates (required)
If you do not have it: Without them we cannot compare the charging against the vehicle's actual data. - Certificates of conformity (CoC) or CIF data (without it some of the checks will not work)
If you do not have it: Without the CoC we cannot check the CO2 class. This is the main check — we recommend ordering it from the manufacturer, which takes a few weeks. - Tachograph or telematics data (without it some of the checks will not work)
If you do not have it: Without them we cannot compare the charged mileage against the real one, nor detect charged standing days.