In the toll dispute, the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility has for the first time transferred money to the Camion Pro association. The amount is in the high six-figure range, according to the association. It will forward the money to the affected members. Camion Pro speaks of a "partial victory," but also emphasizes that the conflict over the calculation of truck tolls is not yet over.
ECJ ruling forces Germany to rethink
The dispute traces back to a ruling by the European Court of Justice on 28 October 2020. In it, the judges clarified that Germany had unlawfully included costs of the traffic police in toll calculations. Under European law, however, only infrastructure costs may be considered. With this decision, Germany's previous toll
practice was put into question. Transport companies can now hope to successfully reclaim further substantial refunds.
Camion Pro notes that the association had already in 2014 drawn attention to illegality and advised its members to make toll payments under reservation. In 2023 the association then officially submitted refund requests.
Further proceedings through 2025
The current payout is only part of the overall dispute. According to Camion Pro, another reimbursement claim of a similar size is pending. This case is currently before the court, and a ruling is expected by the end of 2025. For companies, it remains unclear what refunds may still be expected.
Association handles proceedings for members
Camion Pro conducts the proceedings centrally for its members. According to its own statements, the
association handles the legal review, coordination with the authorities, and processing of payments.
„For our members, this meant: no independent legal action, no additional burden,“ the association said.
Dispute with Toll Collect over fees
In addition to the dispute over toll calculation, a second proceeding is underway. Camion Pro criticizes Toll Collect fees, for example for duplicate copies of toll receipts.
Against this practice, the association filed a request for a preliminary injunction with the Berlin Regional Court in February 2024. The judges rejected the motion on 26 February 2024. The reason given was that there was no sufficient competitive relevance for an abuse-of-rights injunction claim and there was a lack of urgency.
Thereupon Camion Pro filed a test case with the Berlin Local
Court. This suit was also dismissed by the court at the end of November 2024. An appeal was not allowed.
Political dimension and signaling effect
The disputes have far-reaching consequences beyond the current refunds. The ECJ ruling forces Germany to align toll practice with European guidelines and to consider only infrastructure costs. For transport companies, this opens up substantial refunds and also puts pressure on politics and administration to ensure greater transparency.
Also the dispute with Toll Collect shows that not only the amount of the toll, but also the billing practices are under scrutiny. For managers in road freight transport, it remains crucial what financial relief the proceedings actually bring—and whether this leads to a more reliable, legally secure toll system in the
