SaaS - Tolls Management System

Project Focus: Streamlining cross-border toll payments for logistics companies

Commerce Logic is B2B SaaS product for commercial carriers. Their main target are businesses that operate trucks that move in the US using toll roads.

There are more than 135 toll agencies in US (mostly do not Interact with each other).There are about 10 000 toll plazas across the country in total.

I led the design of the pickup experience between January 2022 and September 2022 and collaborated with one other Junior Designer. During my work on the project Trips and Fleet feature, more small improvements were added. I worked alongside 2 Product Managers, a Researcher, and Development Team of 6 awesome people.

The US tolling industry is fragmented, with over 146 independent tolling agencies, each operating unique systems. This leads to inefficiencies such as:

High operational costs due to redundant back-office systems.

Revenue loss from uncollected tolls caused by issues like unreadable license plates, outdated customer data, and wilful nonpayment.

Interoperability challenges between state toll systems, causing friction for drivers and fleet operators.

We conducted customer and market research to drive our planning phase.These are the key insights that defined the launch version of the product:

When leaving a «home area» the driver encounters another toll system that is incompatible with his toll tag, since he has a different financial relationship with another toll agency

Some companies offer a single tag to unify the bill for commercial carriers as they move across the country

Tolls should be integrated into delivery costs to create a much more value-added proposition of projecting costs based on time, traffic, delivery delays, etc. Global value is to provide an intelligent tolling solution

Current competitors couldn't provide all possible alternative roads with costs for the drivers

Empathise: Trying to understand the target user and his main pain points, looking threw his behaviors, and frustrations

Define: Conducting user research methods such as interviews, surveys, and usability tests to gain a deeper understanding of the user's needs and goals

Ideate: Generating ideas and solutions through brainstorming with a team, sketching, and wireframing.

Prototype: Providing the high fidelity design to the client and target users, making user testings and getting feedback

Users could not track all the different tags in their systems, other Tags management systems are not adapted to all tags providers. In the end, very often Logistics companies has miscalculations, issues with tracking expenses.

Following five in-depth interviews with fleet managers and stakeholders, combined with collaborative brainstorming sessions, two comprehensive solutions were developed to address the fragmented toll system and improve operational efficiency:

Integration with Existing Tag Systems: The system was enhanced to seamlessly calculate and process toll payments across all major US toll tag systems (e.g., E-ZPass, SunPass, TxTag). This required significant backend development to ensure compatibility with various regional tolling infrastructures. By consolidating these systems into one platform, fleet managers could now manage payments without switching between multiple tools.

Universal Tag Solution: A groundbreaking universal tag was designed to automatically gather data from all existing toll systems. This tag eliminated the need for drivers to carry multiple tags for different regions, simplifying operations and reducing administrative overhead. The universal tag acted as a single source of truth for all toll-related transactions.

Trip Optimization Tool: Before deploying the universal tag solution, a trip optimization feature was introduced to provide immediate value to users. This tool analyzed the driver’s existing toll tags and recommended the most cost-effective routes based on real-time toll rates. Additionally, it calculated detailed expense estimates for each road trip, enabling fleet managers to make informed decisions about route planning and budgeting.

Fleet managers faced significant challenges tracking critical fleet data such as trailer changes, weight, height, and other key parameters. While the information was available on paper, the process was inefficient due to:

Delays in receiving physical documents from drivers.

The time-consuming task of manually entering this data into the system.

Drivers having no direct access to update fleet-related information in real-time.

This lack of streamlined communication between drivers and fleet managers resulted in operational inefficiencies and outdated fleet records.

User testing demonstrated significant improvements:

70% of drivers reported a reduction in time spent submitting fleet updates, as they no longer needed to scan or email documents.

Fleet managers noted a 40% increase in data accuracy, as information was entered directly by drivers at the source.

Overall system adoption rates increased due to the simplicity and efficiency of the new workflow.

One of the most significant challenges in this project was overcoming the client’s belief that they fully understood all the issues within their toll management system. Initially, the client was resistant to granting access to employees or drivers for interviews, assuming that their own perspective was sufficient to identify and address pain points. This created a roadblock in conducting user research and gathering critical insights from those directly interacting with the system.

To navigate this challenge, I proposed a compromise: conducting interviews with just one fleet manager and one driver, followed by testing prototypes developed without prior user input. The goal was to demonstrate the tangible value of involving end-users in the design process. After multiple discussions, the client agreed to this limited approach.

The results were transformative:

Both the fleet manager and driver provided key insights that highlighted overlooked issues and inefficiencies in the system.

When these individuals tested the prototypes, they suggested numerous changes that significantly improved usability and functionality.

The client was surprised by how much valuable feedback emerged from just two participants. This experience convinced them of the importance of user research and testing.

Following this breakthrough, the client became more open to conducting additional interviews and user testing sessions, which ultimately led to a more user-centered and effective solution.

This version emphasizes your problem-solving skills while showcasing how you overcame resistance through strategic compromise and demonstrated value through real-world results. It also highlights collaboration as a key factor in achieving success.