Warning: The HazMat Registration Deadline is June 30th!

We know you truckers have a lot to worry about right now with HVUT season looming over the horizon, but with all the hustle and bustle surrounding the upcoming HVUT and IFTA deadlines, a lot of folks forget that it’s time to renew your HazMat certificate of registration, too!

And just like filing your 2290, it’s not wise to wait until the last minute to register. Because let’s face it, no one likes dealing with fines and late penalties.

For those unfamiliar with the registration process or that need a slight refresher, we’ve got everything you need to know about HazMat registration.

Why Do I Need to Apply for a HazMat Registration Certificate?

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration requires anyone that offers transportation of shipments containing hazardous materials, including hazardous waste, to file a registration statement with the Department of Transportation in addition to paying an annual fee. This is required for the transport of any hazardous material requiring a US DOT placard, which includes oil, petroleum, and propane.

The HazMat Certificate registration period for the upcoming year began May 1, 2016, and runs until June 30, 2016.

How to Register to Carry Hazardous Materials

By calling us, of course! That’s right, just give us a quick call at 803.386.0320 and we’ll get you all taken care of.

And if you’re unsure which placards are required for your operation, we can help you determine what’s right for your business.

HazMat Recordkeeping Requirements

After obtaining the proper registration, it is necessary to follow PHMSA regulations, which require that registration be kept on file at a company’s place of business for three years and available for inspection at any time.

Every truck or tractor used in the transportation of hazardous materials is also required to keep a copy of the current registration on board.

HazMat Penalties

Penalties can be imposed on those that fail to register or to comply with recordkeeping requirements. If a roadside inspection or DOT audit shows that a truck is not properly registered, the owner of the truck faces:

• Fines up to $32,000 per day of violation. 
• The revocation of their interstate or intrastate operating authority. 

To avoid penalties, be sure that all of your trucks are properly registered today. To check on the registration status of any of your trucks you can visit the PHMSA company registration search.

If you need help with your HazMat registration, or even with your HazMat safety permit, give us a call at 803.386.0320, or fill out a service request form!

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How to Obtain the Proper Permits: Trip, Fuel, HazMat, and More!

So you just got a call from your dispatcher, and now you’ve got to take a load somewhere you’ve never been. Somewhere far away, a magical place, filled with luscious fields and amber waves of grain. Sound familiar?

OK, so it’s probably not quite that glamorous. But what if you’re going somewhere you’ve never traveled before and you don’t have the proper authority? Well if you are, we can assure you it’s going to be the opposite of glamorous. That is, unless you enjoy paying fines to the government! But not to worry, we’ve got the perfect solution to keep you on the road legally, no matter where you're going or what type of load you’re hauling -- so take a look!

Temporary Trip Permit:

To travel anywhere interstate without your IRP credentials you’ll need to secure a temporary trip permit. These permits allow you to travel legally without having your IRP registration. Convenient, right? And just so you know, If you’re using one of these to travel, you’ll need to get it before you actually enter the jurisdiction -- so don’t wait until the last minute!

Temporary Fuel Permit:

So a trip permit allows you to travel without being registered under IRP, but what about IFTA!? Don’t worry, there’s a permit for that too. Just get a temporary fuel permit and you'll be able to travel interstate without registering under the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). But just like with trip permits, you’ll want (and need) to have these taken care of and purchased before actually entering the jurisdiction.

Hunter’s Permit:

If you’re currently wondering what the heck a Hunter’s permit is, you may have also heard/seen it referred to as an Unladen Permit. These permits are used for leased owner operators that were forced to turn in their IRP plates and decals after the lease with their carrier is terminated.

HM Safety Permit:

Now that we’ve covered fuel and trip permits, what about those of you carrying loads with hazardous materials? Well, there’s a permit for that, too. Anyone carrying dangerous or hazardous substances (you know, like toxic, radioactive, or combustible materials) will need to renew this Hazardous Materials Safety Permit every two years (biennially).

PHMSA Permit:

In addition to the HazMat safety permit, HazMat carriers must also get a PHMSA permit, also known as a HazMat Certification of Registration. All carriers transporting hazardous materials must obtain this permit, and the exact type of permit you need depends on the specific material you’ll be transporting. This permit, however, has to be filed every year, and the registration year conveniently (or inconveniently, depending on how you see it) runs just like the HVUT tax year, from July 1-June 30 the following year. But unlike HVUT, and unfortunately for you, if you register mid year there is no prorated amount -- you’ll have to pay your registration in full.

Harvest Permit:

If you just finished your harvest and are going to start transporting heavier loads, then the harvest permit is for you! This permit allows you to temporarily increase your gross vehicle weight without having to do it permanently, saving you money if you’re only transporting heavier loads during harvest season -- hence the name!

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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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Hazardous Materials Registration

The Hazardous Material Registration Statement Renewal deadline is only days away. June 30, 2014 is the deadline. You can apply online, by mail or contact Truck Services of North America.

If you are a person that offers for transportation or transports in commerce a shipment containing hazardous materials, including hazardous wastes, you are required to to file a registration statement with the U.S. Department of Transportation and to pay an annual registration fee. This program is administered by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).  The registration period runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year.

Penalties For Failure To Register: The requirement to register is based on the federal hazmat law. The enforcement of this requirement is conducted cooperatively by federal, state, and local agencies. Federal, state, or local officials may impose penalties for failing to register or failing to meet the recordkeeping requirements.

Copies of the registration statement and the certificate of registration must be kept for three years at your principal place of business and must be available for inspection. Motor carriers and vessel operators must also have on board a copy of the current certificate of registration, or another document bearing the current year’s registration number identified as the “U.S. DOT Hazmat Reg. No.” Every truck or truck tractor or vessel you use for the transportation of a hazardous material that meets the registration criteria must have this proof of registration on board.

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