HARRISBURG — The allegation was listed on the fourth page of a judge’s order last month that dismissed a whistle-blower lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Turnpike — that trucking companies had found a way to get around restrictions on who qualified for a 20 percent discount on tolls.

Plaintiff Ralph Bailets claimed smaller outfits were going through large organizations for E-ZPass accounts, allowing them to meet eligibility standards that required $10,000 a month in toll charges.

Bailets, Judge Rochelle Friedman wrote, informed accounting supervisor Anthony Maun “of the loss of potentially millions of dollars in toll revenue, but Maun did not take action.”

For several years, two entities, Heavy Vehicle Electronic License Plate and Best Pass, have been by far the largest commercial customers of the toll road system — and Best Pass has helped smaller operators qualify for the substantial discounts.

How much the practice cost the state agency is unclear, but Best Pass President John Andrews said the majority of its customers would have qualified for the discounts on their own. He said the practice helps the turnpike avoid having to track down people who don’t pay their bills.

“The upside for the tolling authorities is that we are taking all the risk,” Andrews said.

The Turnpike Commission recently turned down a Right-to-Know Law request from The Associated Press for hard numbers on who reaped savings from the volume discount program, saying the Transportation Act shields that information from public scrutiny.

Turnpike spokesman Bill Capone said the role played by HELP, as it is known, and Best Pass was “just something that evolved.”