customer service representative

manager

call taker

senior project engineer

internal auditor

Illinois Tollway

It's a company to work for temporarily if there are no other offers at the moment. There's a year long hiring process (if you can pass the test), the pay scale is well below industry standard, internal employees are hostile to new employees who come from outside of the tollway, insurance/benefits/retirement plans are a lot lower than what I was told during the interview process, non-smokers have to work around heavy smokers all day (in job briefings and in company vehicles), the teamsters union collects dues and that's it. Also, the tollway will not compensate you in any kind of way for the tolls to and from work.

Most of the "electricians" come from a maintenance dept. and know nothing about electricity, nor can they pass an electrical test with a 75% or higher score. There are a few employees who are really good at their job and are a joy to work with, but the majority of the ones I was force to work with were the bottom of the barrel. Between November and April electricians are force to plow snow instead of perform electrical duties, and vacations during this time are basically blacked out.

Furthermore, there's a lot forced retirement and phasing-out of jobs going on from the top to the bottom. In addition to third party contracting out of work, the future employment at the tollway looks very bleak...

I was a temp/ summer toll collector. The job ranged from the first of may until January 31st. I liked that they let you know during the orientation process how long the position will last. The job was very easy and can become quite repetitive. Typically I’d show up to my scheduled plaza, clock in and sign paperwork stating what lane I go to. More than likely I’d be relieving someone and depending on the size of the person I’d have to wait outside exposed to the outside environment ( luckily they provide you with jackets, coats, and hats to stay warm). During the summer and holidays, it’s much busier and fast paced. At some point you will accumulate enough money to repay the cash that was given to you at the beginning of your shift. They allow you to listen to the radio and that helps time go by a bit faster. My starting pay was $17 an hour.  You will have a schedule but it can change so check it at the beginning of your work day and at the end of your work day. You will also find that sometimes you may be scheduled to work at a different plaza. I’ve sometimes gone to plazas and hour away from me. If someone calls off, they contact the person with the least amount of hours worked first.

There is no real typical day it varies from day to day.  I could be involved in the asset control and scrap of equipment according to PCI, DOD, & HIPPA standards.  Involved in Tier 1 I.T. helpdesk support when migrating to newer operating systems and equipment and assistance to end users when they experience equipment malfunction or software errors.  Customer service for I-Pass account holders and I-Pass violations.

The Illinois Toll Authority, being a unique entity in Illinois, utilizes many different operations to make it work and I have had the pleasure of being involved in most of them.  I have worked and posses a strong knowledge base of Roadway Maintenance, Building Maintenance, Computer Aided Dispatch, Labor Management, Information Technology, I-Pass Customer Care, State Police Operations (behind the scenes), Inventory and Property Control, and Procurement.

While I enjoy my time at the Tollway and enjoy working with and assisting my co-workers, I feel I have gone as far as I can with the Authority.  My goal is to move on to a new endeavor where I can use and share my knowledge.

If you love to type and helping others, then this is the job for you! If you’re the type to call off every other day/week & show up late, then don’t apply because they will fire yo a** 🤣 You get paid to sit on your butt for 7 hours & 15 minutes. You get a 30 min lunch (unpaid) & 15 min break (paid). The most enjoyable part is when the system is down 🤷🏽‍♀️🤣 so you get to tell everyone to call back at a later time. Expect to type as you talk because as soon as the phone disconnects, the next customer will be connecting and ready to complain. Minimum wage $12+, if you’re experienced OR Speaks Spanish. You can get a write up for almost ANYTHING! they fall under different categories: attendance (tardiness for shift or lunch), adherence (your attendance affects this), not having your badge, etc. Majority of customers are privileged white peopl & some are ignorant black people 🤷🏽‍♀️ So expect to get rude remarks.

A typical day at work consists of managing yourself and preparing for unexpected events. In the transportation field, there are many variables (traffic, weather, filling open positions), therefore requiring each employee to think on their feet. I learned how to manage fellow employees with grace and respect, accomplish all duties assigned to me, assist motorists and customers in a timely fashion and how to be mindful of multiple situations in motion. The managment and workplace culture are not out of the ordinary, and the hardest part of the job is overcoming personal interest by working as a team. The most enjoyable parts of the job are interacting with the public, embracing the weather elements and appreciating the compensation.

The call center for the tollway was a friendly atmosphere for myself, but the job itself did have its cons at times. I did enjoy the experience overall, but the job was usually in high volume, and most things were not finished when they needed to be. I feel that my multitasking and communication skills improved greatly dealing with the tollway. The hardest part of the job was dealing with those customers who had outstanding amounts owed. The most enjoyable part of the job was genuinely assisting someone who felt that their whole world was over the best that i could.

A typical day at the Tollway would be to get your daily bank(for cashiers) find out what lane assignment that you're in , switch shifts with the person in your booth and begin a speedy day of cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles paying the toll fare. A lot of complaints from drivers about the fares, wait times are to long. You'll spend a large amount of time writing "unpaid tolls" because drivers only have credit cards and most locations accept cash payments. Work schedule is unsteady , you'll work various hours. Employees are the best part of the team!!...Management monitors breaks and lunch continuously !  Pay scale is decent.

The Illinois tollway was a job that required alot of you. A typical day required coming in 15 to 20 minutes before your shift started to prepare your paperwork which you were not paid for. At times you would think that your shift is coming to an end in 8 hrs and 30 minutes to an hour before you are asked to stay which is a job requirement so you are not always able to say no. The customers that traveled thru the tollway were sometimes the highlight of the job. These are people you see on a daily basis and have created report with.

Job itself is fun, hands on, lots of equipment to operate, most of the employees are helpful, some management you have to wonder how they got their positions.  Hope you like Dangerous, have to keep a clear and lawful mind always.  Pay attention to your surroundings.  
Working in the field, It's like walking down the middle of Indy 500 during the race.  Working at the shop, keep your thoughts to yourself, nobody is your friend, do your job and go home safely every night!

Loved helping out customer that came through the tollway. The customers were the best part of the job. The supervisors/managers rules and policies changed from day to day depending on their moods. My co-workers were, for the most part, good to each other, but would do anything to get ahead at the tollway, including spreading vicious lies and tall tales.

If I were able to go back, I probably would, just because it was good money and great benefits.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Customer service representative 3 salaries reported	$20.33 per hour
Manager 2 salaries reported	$94,000 per year
Call taker 1 salary reported	$24.63 per hour
Senior project engineer 1 salary reported	$45.00 per hour
Internal auditor 1 salary reported	$47.50 per hour

Working at Illinois Tollway: Company Overview and Reviews

Illinois Tollway

Illinois Tollway Ratings

Popular jobs at Illinois Tollway

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected