Know No Bounds: Keep Truckin' with Temporary Trip & Fuel Permits from TSNAmerica

Just when you think you have it all together, you get a call about a load that requires you to travel through a jurisdiction you’re not licensed to travel in.  

You shouldn't have to turn down a load for a lack of credentials! But you shouldn't have to register for IRP or IFTA just for a one-time occurrence either–which is exactly why temporary permits exist!

At TSNAmerica, we can not only obtain temporary trip and fuel permits, but can also obtain a myriad of other permits for your business. See everything we have to offer, and if there’s something you need, send us a Service Request Form, and we’ll get on it ASAP.

Temporary Permits

• Temporary Trip Permit: Need to travel interstate, but don’t have IRP credentials? Then a temporary trip permit is for you! Trip permits are issued in lieu of IRP registration, and in some cases, in place of intrastate authority or state use tax credentials, such as NYHUT.
  
  While trip permits are a great solution for sporadic interstate travel, they are not an economical solution in the long term. If you think you’ll need permits more than 2-3 times a year, it may be better to register under IRP or the state tax license required for the jurisdictions you’re traveling in.
  
  Trip permits must be obtained prior to entering the jurisdiction, and since processing costs and times vary by state, it’s best to inquire as soon as you know you’ll need one.

• Temporary Fuel Permit: Fuel permits are issued in place of registration with IFTA, the International Fuel Tax Agreement. Like Trip Permits, they must be obtained before travelling into the jurisdiction you are not licensed to operate in. 

• Hunter’s Permit: Also known as an Unladen Permit, Hunter’s Permits are issued to leased owner-operator’s whose lease with their carrier has been terminated, forcing them to return their IRP plates & decals.
  
  To allow the O-O to travel interstate in search of work, this permit takes the place of IRP registration. However, the permit can only be issued to cover the unladen weight of the vehicle/trailer, so no loads can be carried under this permit. 

Seasonal Permits

• Harvest Permit: Harvest permits are issued during harvest season to those carrying products in their natural state (which are heavier). This allows you to temporarily increase the Gross Vehicle Weight without registering at this higher weight permanently.

HazMat Permits

• HM Safety Permit: A Hazardous Materials Safety Permit is issued to those carrying what the FMCSA considers to be dangerous or toxic substances. This includes radioactive, toxic, or combustible materials. Carriers of this permit must renew biennially according to the last 2 digits of their DOT number.

• PHMSA Permit: This permit, known as a HazMat Certificate of Registration, is also required for those transporting specific types and quantities of hazardous materials. The kind of permit issued will vary based on the category of material, and it must be filed annually. Like the HVUT tax year, the registration year for PHMSA runs from July 1st- June 30th of the following year. Registrants who enter mid-year are still required to pay the full year’s registration fee.
  
  TSNAmerica can help you determine the kind of hazmat permit required, and file for you efficiently this year, and each year after.

Need a temporary trip or fuel permit fast? We’re the fastest filers in the West! And not only are we quick on the draw, we’ve got perfect aim and file everything right the first time!

Call us now for help obtaining your permits or registrations at 803.386.0320 or email us at support@tsnamerica.com.

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IRP Renewal Deadline March 31st: Know Your Responsibilities

With IRP renewal deadlines for several states coming up on the 31st, now is the perfect time to brush up on your IRP knowledge.

At Truck Services of North America, IRP is one of our specialties. Find out from the pro’s whether you’re doing all you need to stay compliant.

I.R. What?

For any newbies out there, the International Registration Plan is an agreement among the 48 contiguous states and 10 provinces of Canada for the registration of commercial motor vehicles traveling between jurisdictions. 

Each jurisdiction agrees to collect and distribute registration fees to the other jurisdictions based on your mileage in each. The more you drive in a jurisdiction, the bigger piece of your pie they get.

IRP simplifies your life by eliminating the need to have a different license plate or cab card for each state and province you operate in. Instead, your base jurisdiction furnishes you with one set of credentials to display (this varies by state), and you only need to renew and pay fees to that one base. Much easier!

What Must I Do?

• Renew your IRP registration each year, pay your registration fees, and display your new credentials appropriately. 

• Maintain jurisdiction-specific distance records, and make these available in your base jurisdiction in the event of an IRP Audit. Also, be sure to retain these records for at least 3 years after the close of the period. 

Is It Time for Me to Renew?

• Illinois IRP: 03/31 is the renewal due date for all IL IRP registrants. You may submit this renewal online, or you can have TSNAmerica file for you!

• AZ, MO, MT, UT: Some registrants in these states must renew by 03/31. Since the renewal deadlines are staggered throughout the year, check with your base state to see if it’s your turn.

If it’s time for you to renew your IRP registration, or if you aren’t even sure when you need to renew, then give Truck Services of North America a call.

Whether your state requires renewals by mail or online, we know how to file your registration quickly and correctly. The answer to all of your IRP questions lies with us! Call us now at 803.386.0320 or email us at support@tsnamerica.com.

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IFTA Filing Services: Work Less, Worry Less

The filing period for 1st Quarter IFTA returns opens in just a few short weeks! Will you be ready?

Now is the perfect time to start organizing your trip sheets and fuel receipts, and to think about sending them to us to prepare your return for you.

If you’re extra busy this quarter, or if you’d rather have a root canal than file one more tax return, then it’s time to call in the experts!

As a premier processing agency, we can file BOC-3’s, obtain MC#’s, and register EIN’s with one hand tied behind our back (blindfolded)!

But our true expertise is IFTA filings. Check out our packages below, and see which one is right for your business.

IFTA Filing Services

• IFTA Basic- $75 per quarter + State Fees
  It may be basic, but it’ll get the job done! Send us your total miles and fuel purchases each quarter, and we’ll complete your return and file it directly with your state.
  
  

• IFTA Premium- $110 per quarter + State FeesLevel up with our premium package! Send us your trip sheets and original fuel receipts each month, and at the end of the quarter, we’ll calculate your mileage per jurisdiction, MPG, and fuel tax. Then we’ll complete your return and file it for you. (Does not include audit.)

• IFTA Complete- $150 per quarter + State Fees
  Achieve IFTA Nirvana. This luxury service includes everything you need to get your quarterly IFTA filed with minimal effort and minimal risk of being audited. Like the premium package, we do require that your send us your trip sheets and original fuel receipts each month, and we use these to calculate and prepare your return.
  
  But unlike the premium package, this service includes a thorough audit of your information to decrease the risk of errors, as well as your risk of being audited or fined. While preparing your return, we’ll check your trip sheets for state adjacency and gaps in odometer readings, then we’ll review all fuel purchases for consistency. When you think of the time (and possible audits) that this package can save you, it’s quite a steal!

Our expertise doesn’t stop there. It also extends to quarterly State Use Taxes and annual HVUT too. Like IFTA, we can use your trip sheets and fuel receipts to complete your quarterly NY HUT, KYU, New Mexico Weight-Distance, or Oregon Weight-Mile tax returns.

We also offer Form 2290 over-the-phone filing! One quick phone call to get your details, and we’ll prepare and file your HVUT that day.

No matter how much paperwork you have to do, or how little time you have, TSNAmerica has a service package that’s right for you. We can do as much or as little as you need us to, and we’ll always be there to lend a helping hand when you need it most.

Call us today at 803.386.0320 or email us at support@tsnamerica.com to start taking advantage of our IFTA expertise just in time for 1st quarter filings!

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Yield for Free Tickets: It's Time for the Mid-America Trucking Show!

Where will you be March 26th through 28th? TSNAmerica knows!

No, we’re not clairvoyant. We just have a sneaking suspicion that many of our friends will be in Louisville, Kentucky–because come the last week of March, it’ll be the place for truckers and trucking enthusiasts to be!

Yes, it’s that time already...time for the world famous Mid-America Trucking Show!

For over 40 years, MATS has been the preeminent annual event for those in the trucking industry. With over a million square feet of exhibit space, thousands of exhibiting companies, and over 80,000 attendees from countries all over the world, MATS is undeniably still the biggest, baddest trucking event around.

And guess who else will be joining the line-up? None other than our friends over at ExpressTruckTax and TruckLogics! You’ve heard us mention them before. ExpressTruckTax.com offers affordable and easy E-filing of Form 2290 for truck taxes, while TruckLogics is a cloud-based business management solution designed by owner-operators, for owner-operators.

They’ll be set up at Booth #66121 giving away awesome stuff, so be sure to stop by, grab some swag, and tell them that Truck Services of North America sent you!

And it’s good to have friends in high places, because we’ve got the ticket hook up, and we’re passing it along to all of our TSNAmerica clients!

We’re giving away FREE MATS TICKETS to the first 25 clients that ask! 

Just give us a call at 803.386.0320 or email us at support@tsnamerica.com to get in on the action!

Have a blast at MATS, Trucking Nation! And be sure to tweet us pics @TSNAmerica so we can see what you get up to!

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