Happy Thanksgiving from Truck Services of North America!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family at Truck Services of North America!

A Letter of Gratitude

We’d like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all of you, not just to our TSNAmerica clients (who are awesome, by the way!), but to everyone in the transportation industry!

We love serving those in the trucking industry because of the monumental service you all provide for our nation. Days like Thanksgiving wouldn’t be possible without all of the fresh food that you delivered to our local markets.

And then there’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas shopping, and that oh-so-handy expedited shipping–none of which would be possible without you working around the clock. Last minute Christmas shoppers (like me) would be out of luck if it weren’t for the truckers willing to drive through the night.

So in this season where we remind ourselves to give thanks for everything, big and small, we want to thank you, the transportation professionals always working behind the scenes and rarely getting the appreciation you deserve.

Thank you for your constant service and dedication to safety. We’re grateful that we can serve you!

Thanksgiving Festivities

Every year, the TSNAmerica team gets together with the entire SPAN Enterprises family for a huge Thanksgiving Potluck! 

Everyone brings their signature holiday dishes, and we always bring way too much and have plenty of leftovers. Amidst the feast of three giant turkeys (they're call it that in the history books) was green bean casserole, mac and cheese, mashed cauliflower, dressing, corn casserole, and every other scrumptious side you can think of. And that didn't even include dessert.

Of course before we indulged, we had to remember those in the community who are less fortunate, so we donated hundreds of canned vegetables to a local children's and homeless shelter, Pilgrims' Inn! Nothing  beats the feeling of giving back!

And no Thanksgiving party would be complete without games! We had a corn cob eating contest, a turkey-drawing contest, a turkey-imitating contest, AND we played pin the feather on the turkey! Here's support specialist, Staci, searching for her turkey. This story has a happy ending. Staci found her turkey and successfully pinned a feather on the tail!

And then came the food. While we were chowing down, each of us shared what we are thankful for this year. Here were some of the responses:

• TSNAmerica Manager Carrie is thankful for the new roof over her head and thankful that the hail storm this year was the only bad weather we had to deal with in SC!
• Amber, one of our support specialists, is grateful for the simple things in life that we often take for granted, like faith, family, friends, love & music.
• Staci, the newest member of our support team, gave thanks for her tight-knit circle of friends who is always there to cheer her up and cheer her on!

To see what everyone else in the SPAN family is thankful for, check out the SPAN Facebook page!

SPAN Family Photo

Holiday Support Hours

To spend time with our families, our offices will be closed this Thursday 11/27 and Friday 11/28. However, we'll still be available for email assistance at support@tsnamerica.com! We'll be back on the phones and online chat Monday.

We hope you all get the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. Drive safely!

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November 30th Deadlines: Oregon Weight-Mile and SD IRP Renewals

TSNAmerica is back with a Trucking News update!

If you operate in Oregon or South Dakota, beware of a potential “road block” ahead!

Oregon Weight-Mile quarterly tax filings are due Tuesday, November 30th, and so are many South Dakota IRP Renewals.

TSNAmerica is here to help you avoid a paper-work traffic jam! We have all of the information you need to stay in the loop, plus we can file it all for you fast!

Oregon Weight-Mile Tax

• This weight-mile tax is required for commercial vehicles travelling on Oregon’s public roads that weigh over 26,000 lbs. 
• Private or off-road travel need not be reported, and government, charity, and many farm vehicles are excluded from the tax.
• If you are a current registrant for this tax, you are required to file a report even if the tax owed is zero and you didn’t operate at all this quarter.
• If you no longer plan to operate at all, you must cancel your Weight Receipt. 
• Tuesday, November 30th is the reporting deadline for those on the Quarterly Mileage fee basis. Your fee basis is determined by the vehicle’s weight, load contents, and purpose for travel. Check with the ODOT if you’re unsure of your fee basis.
• However, 1st year Weight Receipt holders are required to report mileage tax monthly. 
• When reporting on a monthly basis, filings must be submitted electronically or postmarked by the last day of the month following the close of the reporting period. For example, November filings would be due by December 31st.
• And don’t forget, your Weight receipt, one of the credentials for the Weight-Mile tax along with the Tax Identifier, must also be renewed with the ODOT annually!

South Dakota IRP Renewals

• According to SD law, if your vehicle transports items weighing more than 500 lbs for business, you must be commercially licensed. For intrastate carriers, this means obtaining a commercial license, but for interstate carriers, a trip permit or IRP license is required.
• Some vehicles are exempt from the IRP (Prorate) license. Contact us to find out if you’re exempt!
• Renewal deadlines for SD IRP renewal are staggered based upon the date you first applied for licensure. If you are unsure whether your renewal is due Nov. 30th, call TSNAmerica for help! 
• You will need the following for your annual SD IRP Renewal Application: distance travelled in each jurisdiction for all of the vehicles you’ve registered, including trip permit distance (for newly added vehicles) and mileage traveled on toll roads. 
• On the application form, you must also note any changes in business information, as well as vehicle information. This includes any change in vehicle ownership, changes in registered vehicle weight, and addition or removal of vehicles from your fleet. Vehicle changes should be noted on the Vehicle Information Form on Schedule A/E. While renewing, you must also notify them of any changes to the IRP jurisdictions you intend to travel through.
• In addition to yearly renewal, SD IRP license holders are required to display cab cards and apportioned vehicle ID plates, as well as keep thorough records. Records must be kept for six years (the current year and five previous years), and should include the following information: IVDFR (individual vehicle distance and fuel records), a monthly summary, a quarterly summary, and a yearly summary. 
• Renewals must be filed at least 45 days prior to the due date, and the fees must be paid at least 15 days before. 

If you have questions or need help filing your Oregon Weight-Mile tax return or SD IRP renewal, call us for immediate assistance from a real, happy person in our hometown of Rock Hill, SC.

We can help you figure out what you need to file, and we’ll file it for you extra fast! And because this is what we do, we can also take care of your quarterly IFTA returns, IFTA renewal, UCR renewal, IRP renewal in other states and more- all before the filing deadlines!

Give us a call today at 803.386.0320. or email us at support@tsnamerica.com to cut down on your pesky paperwork.

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2015 IFTA Renewal Period: Now through December 31st

The end of the year is creeping ever-closer! And with the approaching new year comes the time for registration renewals.

We’re in the midst of several open renewal periods right now, IRP being one of them. If you’re based in Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, or Wyoming, then your International Registration Plan renewal deadline is coming up on December 31st. And then, of course, there’s UCR! The Unified Carrier Registration must also be renewed by December 31st.

But we can’t forget the big one, the one Fuel Tax to rule them all! IFTA license renewals are due by–you guessed it–December 31st!

Between IRP, UCR, IFTA, other state-specific requirements, AND the holidays approaching, interstate truckers have their work cut out for them! If you’re an interstate trucker, then right about now you’re probably looking at these due dates and screaming incoherently, and maybe even tossing in a few saltier words, for good measure.

Stifle those screams, and dry those tears...and wash your mouth out with soap! TSNAmerica has all of the information you need to make it through the end of the year–with your sanity in tact!

Here’s everything you need to know about filing your 2015 IFTA License Renewal. And if this seems like too much to handle, we can always take care of it for you. Hooray!

• What is IFTA? Do I need it? The International Fuel Tax Agreement is an agreement between the 48 contiguous United States and 10 provinces of Canada for the collection and distribution of fuel taxes. This tax applies to commercial carriers that operate qualifying vehicles internationally or across state lines, in other words, interstate. A qualifying vehicle is one that weighs over 26,000 pounds or that has three or more axles, regardless of weight.
  
  If you’re an interstate carrier with a qualifying vehicle, then you must 1.) register for IFTA, 2.) display credentials according to the laws of your state, 3.) file quarterly tax returns, and 4.) keep precise mileage and fuel use records.
• 50 Shades of IFTA: Each state has its own set of requirements for quarterly IFTA filings and for the renewal of licenses. Some states will send you renewal notifications and instructions. Some will leave you to fend for yourself!
  
  States also vary in their renewal methods, with some using electronic or online channels, others requiring paper copies via postal mail, and still others that automatically renew your license for you if your account is in good standing.
  
  The filing due date is a bit of a gray area too. IFTA licenses are valid between January 1 and December 31st of each year, with license renewals due by December 31st; however, some states require that you submit your renewal application well before the December 31st deadline to allow time for processing prior to the close of the year.
  
  No matter what your state requires, it’s your responsibility to be familiar with the requirements and file correctly and before December 31st. The silver-lining is, we already know the requirements for each state and can file the renewal for you!
• They’ve Made a List & Checked it Twice: Your IFTA base state knows if you’ve been naughty or nice, a naughty late-filer that is. To renew your IFTA license, your account must be in good standing. This means you cannot have any outstanding tax owed, and you must have filed for every quarter. If you missed a quarter, you are required to submit your report and pay any tax owed before you’ll be allowed to renew. The sooner you do it, the lesser the penalties and interest accrued.
  
  And more good news here- TSNAmerica will prepare the return for you based on your trip sheets, and we’ll submit it to your state. We’re friends with the IFTA elves in every base jurisdiction, so we can get you back on the “Nice” list extra fast.
• Saving Grace: The IFTA board smiles upon you! There is a grace period, but as we previously covered, it’s for the display of 2015 IFTA credentials only. Absolutely all renewal applications are due by (or in some cases weeks before) December 31st. However, if you don’t receive your new license and decals in time for Jan. 1, you’ll be fine. As long as you display valid 2014 credentials and you’ve already filed your renewal, then you’ll be covered under the grace period through January and February of 2015.
  
  
  

If you aren’t sure what your base jurisdiction’s requirements are, TSNAmerica can help! We’ve filed enough IFTA renewals to stretch to the moon and back. Let us use that knowledge and experience to help you file on time. 

Don’t wait until the last minute! Call us today at 803.386.0320 or email us at support@tsnamerica.com. We’ll make sure the only paperwork you have to worry about this season is wrapping paper (or tissue paper, if you’re extra fancy).

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Breaking News for Truckers: IFTA Grace Periods & Filing Extensions–We've Got the Scoop!

Extra, Extra, Read all about it!

TSNAmerica here, with breaking news to keep you truckin’.

We’ve got great news on the IFTA front today! News that just couldn’t wait until our Newsletter.

No matter which state you’re based in, this info applies to you, so read on & feel free to share with friends!

Louisiana 3rd Quarter Deadline Extension

The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDA) released a statement yesterday extending the deadline for 3rd Quarter IFTA filings submitted electronically.

Here’s why. The LaTAP (Louisiana Taxpayer Access Point) web application for submitting IFTA returns electronically was unavailable from Monday October 27th, 2014 to Tuesday November 4th, 2014. The maintenance to this E-filing system coincided with the IFTA filing deadline on October 31st, 2014.

As a result, the LDA is extending the deadline for September filings to Monday November 17th, 2014. All September filings will be considered on-time if submitted by this date, and LDA will waive all late penalties and interest fees. The system upgrade may also delay Louisiana distributing the IFTA revenue to other jurisdictions.

This is great news overall for LA IFTA licensees! If your IFTA filing was late for any reason, be sure to submit it through the LaTAP system by the 17th to avoid any late fees! Call TSNAmerica at 803.386.0320 if you need assistance!

IFTA Credential Grace Period

CEO of the International Fuel Tax Association, Lonette L. Turner, issued a statement Friday to all IFTA members. In it, she announced the grace period protocol for the proper display of IFTA credentials in January and February of 2015.

While renewal applications are due by December 31st in all states, it usually takes a few weeks to receive the new license and decals from each base jurisdiction. The grace period was implemented to cover this gap between applications being submitted and credentials being received.

The excerpt below is taken from the IFTA Articles of Agreement, Section R655.

R655 Grace Period

• .200
  Carriers renewing their IFTA license and decals have a two-month grace period (January and February) to display the renewal IFTA license and decals. To operate in IFTA jurisdictions during this grace period, carriers must display either valid current or prior year IFTA license and decals from the jurisdiction in which they were operating or a valid single-trip permit from the IFTA jurisdiction in which they are operating.

So let’s break it down. This means there are three options available to trucks operating in IFTA member states during January and February of 2015.

1. 1. Display a valid 2015 IFTA license and two IFTA decals issued by your base jurisdiction. As they say, the early bird gets the IFTA decals! Good on you if you have these credentials in time! But in case you don’t…
2. 2. Display a valid 2014 IFTA license and two IFTA decals from your base jurisdiction, but only if you’ve already filed your 2015 renewal application!
3. 3. You snooze, you buy permits! The third option is to purchase a trip permit from all IFTA member states you will be operating in during those two months. 

Option 3 is certainly the most costly, so be sure to file your license renewal soon! Ms. Turner reiterated that this grace period in no way applies to renewal filings. The extension only applies to the display of new IFTA credentials. Renewal applications are still due by December 31st, 2014.

If you have yet to file your IFTA renewal and you have two busy months ahead, let us handle it for you. TSNAmerica gets the paperwork out of your way so you can focus on the road.

And if you’re already stressing over 4th Quarter IFTA filings, we can help with that too! Simply send us your completed trip sheets, and we’ll prepare your return for you. No calculations, no long forms to fill out. We’ll also submit it directly to your base state so you don’t have to.

Call us at 803.386.0320 or send us an email support@TSNAmerica.com. And stay tuned for more breaking trucking news!

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