Tolls in Indiana

Indiana tolls apply to the Indiana Toll Road across the north of the state, the Cline Avenue Bridge in East Chicago, and RiverLink's three bridges between Louisville and southern Indiana. Each system has its own vehicle categories, rates, and payment process. The road a truck uses, its complete equipment configuration, and the payment method determine the cost.

For freight, calculate the loaded movement and the empty return separately. A five-axle truck classified as Class 5 pays $91.30 cash for a full through trip on the Indiana Toll Road, while a single bridge crossing has a different tariff. An Indiana destination does not mean the truck uses the entire Toll Road, and a delivery completed today can still have toll transactions processed afterward.

The Indiana Toll Road schedule below took effect July 1, 2026; Cline Avenue's schedule took effect January 1, 2026; RiverLink's schedule covers July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Recheck the linked operator resources for the intended travel date.

Where Indiana tolls apply

Start with the actual road and crossing rather than a statewide toll allowance. These facilities serve different parts of Indiana:

INDOT's toll-road overview identifies the Indiana Toll Road as a roughly 157-mile route operated by ITR Concession Company. RiverLink's bridge directory identifies its three charged crossings. Cline Avenue has a separate location and access map.

A trip described as “Chicago to Indiana” could start at a rail ramp in Chicago, Bensenville, or Will County, with very different roads between the pickup and delivery. Establish the facility and truck entrance first; the Chicago rail-ramp and equipment-depot guide explains those distinctions.

Likewise, the Indiana Toll Road's northern location does not make its through rate a default allowance for Indianapolis freight. Use the Indianapolis and Avon facility guide to identify the pickup or return before pricing the route.

Current toll rates by facility

The amounts below are regular published tariffs for the stated categories. Account fees, penalties, permits, and special-load charges are separate. A class number from one operator should not be transferred to another operator's schedule.

Indiana Toll Road

The July 2026 rate notice publishes these full through-trip amounts. ETC means electronic toll collection, including payment through the applicable transponder account.

The notice also separates Westpoint from Portage–Eastpoint. For Class 5, those cash amounts are $5.70 and $85.60, respectively; the electronic amounts are $5.72 and $85.65. Together they produce the through totals above. A shorter journey needs its own entrance/exit calculation.

Use the official Toll Road calculator with the correct vehicle class, payment method, entry, and exit. Retain the result with the quote. Do not charge a full-state journey simply because the truck uses a portion of I-80/I-90.

E-ZPass is not a universal discount on this road. The published Class 5 electronic through amount is seven cents higher than cash. Use the actual schedule rather than applying a percentage saving borrowed from another state.

Dimensions can change the toll class. The operator's dimensions and weight guidance lists Class 7 treatment for width from 8 feet 6 inches to 12 feet, and height from 13 feet 6 inches to 14 feet 6 inches. It also lists separate rules by vehicle configuration and special-hauling thresholds. A five-axle combination should therefore not be assigned Class 5 without checking the complete vehicle profile.

Where a dimension falls at a published boundary, confirm the measurement and classification with the operator before relying on the ordinary axle category. A higher toll class and an oversize/overweight permit are different matters. The Indiana commercial motor vehicle guide discusses Toll Road dimensions and fees on page 23, while the operator's permit page provides special-hauling instructions.

Cline Avenue Bridge

Cline Avenue Bridge is an all-electronic toll facility. Its 2026 standard rate charts list the following amounts. The tag column applies to E-ZPass or I-PASS.

The final row is labeled 5, not “5 or more.” Obtain a confirmed rate for a six- or seven-axle combination rather than extending that row yourself.

The bridge FAQ locates the collection gantry west of the canal crossing, near the Riley Road entrance, and describes one tolling point serving both directions. Its posted rates apply around the clock without an additional morning or evening commuting surcharge. Price the actual passage through that point; using another part of Cline Avenue does not by itself establish a bridge charge.

The bridge's commercial-vehicle guidance requires advance special travel permits for oversize or hazardous-material loads and directs applications through Oxcart. Confirm those requirements independently of the toll amount. The hazmat-shipment guide explains the cargo information needed to establish whether a shipment is hazardous.

RiverLink bridges

RiverLink charges for each applicable bridge crossing. Its dated July 2026–June 2027 schedule distinguishes a prepaid account with a transponder, a prepaid account without one, and mail/plate payment.

The tag column below requires a prepaid account and transponder. Mail also covers the schedule's pay-by-plate option.

A prepaid account without a transponder costs $4.18 for passenger, $8.32 for medium, or $15.21 for large vehicles per crossing.

In this schedule, the passenger category covers two-axle vehicles up to 7 feet 6 inches high. Medium covers taller two-axle vehicles and all three- and four-axle vehicles. Large covers five or more axles. Count the entire combination, including the trailer or chassis.

A five-axle and a six-axle truck therefore fall in the same RiverLink large category, even though their Indiana Toll Road classifications can differ. A taller two-axle truck should not use the passenger price.

The 2026 rate announcement confirms the July 1 change. For a quote covering travel after June 30, 2027, check the next applicable schedule instead of treating these figures as permanent.

RiverLink's commercial-account guidance confirms that E-ZPass transponders from other toll systems work on these crossings. Commercial accounts do not qualify for the frequent-user discount reserved for eligible passenger vehicles on personal accounts. Accepting a transponder and qualifying for a commuter discount are separate questions.

Smaller, former, and future crossings

The Wabash Cannonball/St. Francisville crossing between Illinois and Indiana is a separate local toll bridge. The FHWA inventory dated January 1, 2023 lists eastbound collection and a historical truck range, without a current axle-specific schedule. That inventory does not establish today's price or permission for a container truck. Confirm the current tariff, load limits, and vehicle acceptance with the responsible bridge authority before considering it for freight.

The Wabash Memorial Bridge in Posey County is toll-free: Indiana discontinued its tolls on July 1, 2014. Old references to a toll schedule or Wabash Pass should not be used to add a current crossing charge. See INDOT's confirmation.

The future I-69 Ohio River Crossing near Evansville and Henderson is not an operating toll bridge in 2026. The project's tolling FAQ anticipates opening in 2031 and tolling by January 1, 2032. Its announced future rates do not belong in a current shipment's toll budget.

E-ZPass, I-PASS, cash, and plate billing

Payment arrangements affect both the price and the paperwork. Check the facility's process before travel, and use the operator named on a notice when resolving a charge.

Pay the Indiana Toll Road as you travel

The Indiana Toll Road describes its system as gated and pay-as-you-travel, with cash, credit/debit cards, or E-ZPass. If payment could not be completed and an Unpaid Toll Ticket was issued, the operator requires payment within 30 days of travel. Follow its unpaid-toll instructions rather than assuming a routine plate invoice will arrive.

Keep the ticket or transaction receipt. A billing question involving Cline Avenue or RiverLink belongs with that system, even when the same truck and transponder were used earlier on the Toll Road.

Prepare the account for electronic bridges

For Cline Avenue, maintain a valid, funded E-ZPass or I-PASS account with the correct plate and issuing state. The operator may attempt a plate-to-account match if the tag is not detected; otherwise, it sends an invoice to the registered owner. Its tolling information explains that process.

RiverLink offers both prepaid transponder and prepaid plate arrangements, but their rates differ. Its payment-options page explains the choices. The local RiverLink transponder and RiverLink E-ZPass transponder are different products; check compatibility before assuming a local tag will work throughout a multistate trip.

Before dispatch, verify the plate, account balance, payment card, tag mounting, and vehicle assignment. A leased tractor can also direct mail to a leasing company rather than the dispatcher expecting the expense. Establish who receives and reconciles the transactions.

The Indiana E-ZPass FAQ identifies its retail transponders as two-axle products. A truck fleet should confirm a suitable transponder and account arrangement rather than buying a passenger product and assuming its registration is correct for the combination.

How to calculate tolls for an Indiana shipment

A useful toll budget describes the complete operation being quoted. The following process works for checking a carrier's allowance, preparing a customer price, or investigating why two estimates differ.

1. Identify every required stop. For an import, record the pickup terminal, delivery entrance, authorized empty-return facility, and separate chassis stops. For an export, record the empty pickup, loading location, receiving terminal, and remaining equipment obligations.

A Louisville rail pickup and a southern Indiana delivery can require an Ohio River crossing; a return depot on another side of the river can change the second leg. Use the Louisville rail-ramp and equipment-depot guide to distinguish the facility references. Record any unconfirmed return location as an assumption.

2. Establish the complete vehicle profile. A three-axle tractor and two-axle chassis total five axles; a three-axle chassis changes that combination to six. Container length alone does not answer the axle question. The container chassis guide explains the configurations.

Check overall height, width, length, gross weight, axle loading, and special cargo as well. The overweight-shipment guide distinguishes cargo weight from the complete vehicle's weight. Returning an empty container changes weight but does not automatically remove axles or change every operator's toll category.

3. Confirm a suitable truck route. Have the carrier check restrictions, clearances, closures, and permit conditions. INDOT's restriction resources link current road conditions and bridge-clearance information. Its bridge map covers interstates, U.S. highways, and state routes; local-road access needs its own check. A toll calculation does not establish permission to operate the load.

4. Price each leg and charged movement. For the Toll Road, record the entry and exit. For a bridge, record the crossing and direction. Apply the relevant vehicle category, payment arrangement, and tariff effective date. Retain the calculation before adding the loaded and empty subtotals.

5. Add neighboring-state charges. A through journey can also use the Chicago Skyway, the Illinois Tollway, or the Ohio Turnpike. Those operators have separate schedules; some distinguish direction or travel period. A state boundary is not the end of the shipment's cost calculation.

6. Settle how tolls enter the freight price. Confirm whether the total includes tolls, carries an estimate subject to adjustment, or passes actual tolls through separately. Establish the supporting documents required for an adjustment and keep any administration charge distinct. The all-in drayage quote guide explains why scope and assumptions matter alongside the total.

Preserve the itinerary, vehicle profile, payment basis, rate date, and unresolved items with the quote. A rate that has not been confirmed should remain an open item instead of silently becoming a zero-dollar crossing.

Worked examples for truck shipments

These examples isolate the named facilities using the schedules above. They exclude other roads, permits, penalties, equipment charges, and account-specific fees. They illustrate the calculation rather than prescribe an operating route.

A full Indiana Toll Road journey and return

Assume the truck qualifies for Class 5, completes the full through journey in each direction, and remains in that category on the return.

This is the full Toll Road example. A local delivery using only part of the road requires a different entrance/exit calculation. If the combination falls into Class 7, the Class 5 amounts are unsuitable even when it has five axles.

Cline Avenue with a loaded and empty crossing

Assume a five-axle combination passes the Cline Avenue collection point once on the loaded leg and once on the empty return.

The payment-basis difference is $11 for these two passages. Counting only the loaded crossing would omit half of the bridge expense. These figures should not be reused for a six-axle chassis combination without confirming its tariff.

Louisville delivery across RiverLink bridges

Assume a five-or-more-axle truck travels north over the Lincoln Bridge, makes its southern Indiana delivery, and returns south over the Kennedy Bridge.

The northbound and southbound spans have different names, but both movements are tolled. If the authorized return instead uses a suitable toll-free crossing, recalculate that leg rather than doubling the outbound amount. Any additional toll road used before or after the river remains separate.

Delayed bills, missed payments, and charge disputes

A toll is incurred during travel, while its account posting, mailed invoice, and allocation to a shipment can occur later. Delivery completion therefore does not prove that every road expense has reached the carrier's records.

Cline Avenue's billing guidance says invoices are generated within 30 days of travel, with plate transactions available for early online payment approximately two weeks after travel. Those are processing references, not an extra grace period after a freight invoice. Start at the operator's tolling page and follow the due date on the actual notice.

RiverLink's invoice FAQ describes collecting additional unpaid crossings over a subsequent 15-day period before mailing an invoice. The first invoice contains tolls; unpaid later notices can add fees. The same FAQ's discussion of bills arriving up to six months later refers to a 2023 provider-transition backlog. It should not be read as a normal six-month billing timetable for current travel. See the invoice explanation.

Separate the higher mail tariff from a late-payment fee. A first mail bill can exceed the transponder rate without including a penalty. Conversely, paying the original crossing amount alone may leave an overdue notice unresolved if fees have already accrued.

For an unexpected charge, collect the notice, receipt or statement, plate and state, travel date and approximate time, direction, vehicle configuration, and shipment reference. Then check:

1. Correct vehicle and trip: Does the charge belong to this truck and this shipment leg?
2. Correct facility and class: Was the actual road used, and does the category match the equipment?
3. Correct payment treatment: Was the account funded and properly registered at the time of travel?
4. Duplicate recovery: Was this toll already paid or included in the quoted total?
5. Separate additions: Is an extra amount a toll, account fee, carrier service charge, or penalty?

Use the applicable dispute process promptly. RiverLink requires disputes within 60 days of the first invoice date or the date the toll posted to an account, according to its dispute guidance. The Indiana Toll Road's travel FAQ directs cash/card and E-ZPass disputes through different account paths. Cline's FAQ provides its billing contact and explains account checks for disputed mail charges.

When a carrier seeks an adjustment after delivery, compare the supporting toll record with the booking terms. The accessorial-tracking guide explains how to review the amount, reason, and supporting documents together.

For an unsolicited payment message, open the operator's official site independently and check the account or notice there. The Indiana Toll Road's current scam alert says it does not request unpaid toll payments by text, phone call, or email.

Toll-free alternatives and common questions

Avoiding a toll can be useful, but compare the entire permitted journey: added mileage, fuel, driving time, restrictions, and appointment risk can outweigh the saving.

Can a truck cross between Louisville and Indiana without a RiverLink toll?

RiverLink identifies the Sherman Minton Bridge on I-64 and Clark Memorial Bridge on US 31 as non-tolled alternatives. Check current vehicle restrictions, construction, and the approaches with the carrier. A toll-free bridge is not automatically the appropriate route for every container or special load.

Does driving on I-65 mean paying a toll throughout Indiana?

The RiverLink charge concerns its named Ohio River crossings. Do not apply a bridge price to every Indiana mile on I-65. Identify whether the selected itinerary actually crosses Lincoln or Kennedy before adding that toll.

Will an empty return be cheaper?

Not necessarily. A truck retaining the same tractor and chassis retains those axles. RiverLink places all five-or-more-axle combinations in its large category. An equipment change, bobtail movement, different road, or changed dimension/weight classification needs a fresh check.

Does I-PASS mean the lowest price everywhere?

Use the facility's published payment basis and account requirements. Cline Avenue lists a lower E-ZPass/I-PASS tariff than mail, while the Indiana Toll Road's Class 5 through electronic amount is slightly above cash. RiverLink also distinguishes a prepaid plate account from a prepaid transponder account.

Why can two toll estimates differ for the same delivery address?

Compare the exact pickup and return facilities, truck entrances, selected roads, axle and dimension profile, payment method, and travel date. One estimate may price only the loaded leg, another may include the equipment return, and a third may assume a different bridge. Resolve those inputs before deciding which total is suitable for the quote.

See estimated tolls in the quote

Portmate calculates estimated tolls automatically for the selected shipment route, combines the loaded and empty legs in the quoted itinerary, and shows the amount in the quote's Tolls line. That saves time tracing crossings and checking separate operator schedules, and makes the expected expense visible before booking. The route-toll walkthrough shows where to find it. When requesting a drayage quote, review the locations, equipment, included charges, and adjustment terms so an overlooked crossing is less likely to become a billing surprise after delivery.