The End of the Year is Near: Time for UCR and NYHUT Renewals!

Well congrats Trucking Nation, you’ve officially made it through the third quarter alive. And now you’re all done with taxes and registration for the year! Just kidding.

Sorry to get your hopes up, but you’ve still got a lot left to do before the year’s end. So let’s take a quick look to see what’s coming up, and as always, how we can help!

UCR Registration

UCR Registration is mandatory as part of the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement, and is required for carriers that operate interstate. While the program is overseen by the federal government, it is administered by participating states. If you operate in a participating state, you must register with your base jurisdiction, and pay the required fees. As for the fees, they’re based on the total number of vehicles used or leased by a particular individual or company.

If you operate intrastate only, you may be in luck! Or you may have to pay anyway; it just depends on your state. For example, if you live in Georgia or another state that uses the PRISM program, even if you only operate intrastate, you still have to pay UCR fees. Keep in mind state requirements often change from year to year, so be sure that you’re always up to date of the rules and regulations of your base state, or any state you operate in. If you have any questions about a particular state, just give us a shout and we’ll make sure you’re the most well-informed trucker on the road!

The deadline for UCR registration? You guessed it, it’s the end of the year, December 31. If you guessed wrong, well, then at least you know the correct date now.

So if you haven’t already done so, stop procrastinating and make it happen!

NYHUT

As most of you already know, or should know at least, if you operate in the state of New York with a vehicle that weighs 26,000 pounds or more, you get a special benefit. What's the benefit? Use tax! That’s right, you get the honor and privilege of paying to help keep the highways you know and love in good shape. OK, so it might not be much of a benefit, and actually more of a burden when you think about it; but hey, sometimes "you gotta do what you gotta do." And if you operate in New York and meet the qualifications, then, unfortunately, this is something you gotta do.

If you have to pay this special use tax, then you’ll need to be registered with the state, and have a New York HUT certificate. Now many of you are probably thinking, how often do I have to do renew this stupid certificate? Well friend, we’ve got some good news and bad news for you. The good news: you only have to renew it once every three years. The bad news: this is the year you have to renew. So before the end of the year, you’ll need to get that taken care if to ensure that you’re operating legally.

Now that we’ve given you all this great information, you’re probably wondering how to actually get your renewals done. Well, do you want the easy way or the hard way? We’ll assume you like things easy, because who doesn’t, right? So just give us a call at (803).386.0320, and let us show you just how easy it can be. Let TSNAmerica take the paperwork out of your way, so you can get back to your day!

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UCR Registration is Now Open!

Yeah we get it, the timing is less than ideal. But what’s new? We know all you truckers are currently buried under piles of of paperwork trying to finish up your 3rd quarter IFTA returns, but don’t forget about your UCR registration amidst all the madness!

The period officially opened on October 1, and now is the time to get it out of the way before the end of the year deadline. After all, nobody likes things hanging over their head; you’ve got enough on your plate already. So give us a call and let us complete your UCR registration, and while we’re at it, we can do your IFTA return for you, too!

If you aren’t sure what UCR registration is or how to go about getting yours taken care of, no worries, just keep reading and we’ll answer some of the most common UCR questions.

What is UCR Registration?

UCRA stands for the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement, which is mandated by the federal government. (Although it is administered by participating states) The registration is typically only for vehicles that operate interstate or internationally, and the fees are based on the total number of vehicles used or leased by the individual or company.

Most carriers that operate intrastate only, or that are registered under the PRISM program are not required to complete UCR registration. Although, certain states do have a UCR program for intrastate only carriers, like Georgia. If you’re unsure of the requirements of your state, be sure to check, as many state requirements change from year to year.

What’s My Base State?

Your base state is simply the state you are registered with that collects UCR fees on behalf of all participating UCR states. When choosing your base state, it is typical to choose the state where your business is headquartered, unless that state doesn’t participate in UCR.

If your state doesn’t participate, but you still need to register for UCR, you can choose the closest state that does participate where your business has an office or an operating facility. If that still isn’t an option for you, then you can just choose the nearest participating state as your base.

How Do I Change My Base State?

Well if you do need to change your base state, you couldn’t have picked a better time to do it. Even if your business has moved to another state, base changes are allowed once a year, and can only be done during the registration period - which is now! Just make sure you give the advanced notice of the change to your base state, and when renewing, choose your new base state.

What Happens if I Don’t Register or Register Late?

Each state that participates in the UCRA has the authority to enforce registration compliance through roadside enforcement checks and comprehensive business audits. During theses enforcement checks and audits, states are given the option to issue citations and fines if anything is found not to be in compliance. So while we can’t say for certain what will happen to you, we can confidently say that you can expect a pretty hefty fine.

We know that you have until the end of the year to register, but putting it off until then is probably the best possible way to forget about it entirely. So if you don’t think you’ll have time to get your UCR renewal completed, or if you just flat out don’t feel like doing it (we don’t blame you) then just give us a call at 803.386.0320, email us at support@tsnamerica.com, or send us a service request. Let us take the paperwork out of your way so you can get back to your day!

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2013 UCR Registration begins October 1, 2012

Registration for 2013 Unified Carrier Registration begins October 1, 2012 and the deadline is December 31, 2012.  All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the UCR. Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States are also subject to UCR.  

States are implementing UCR audit procedures that in some states can be in excess of $1000 for your first offense.  You are able to register for previous years, so you will want to make sure you are registered from 2010 until now. You are required to maintain three years proof of UCR registration.

The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement are part of a Federally-mandated, State-administered program that went into effect September 10, 2007. Under this program, States collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies, based on the number of qualifying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in their fleets. The revenues generated will be used for enforcement of motor carrier safety programs.

Who is Subject to UCR?  
All motor carriers (for-hire, private and exempt) – as well as brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce are subject to the new UCR.   Entities based in Canada and Mexico that are involved in interstate or international commerce in the United States are also subject to UCR.  
 
Who is Not Subject to UCR?   
The following groups are not subject to UCR:

(1) entities that receive USDOT numbers under the PRISM program as “registrants” but have no interstate operating authority;

(2) except when a state has adopted the UCR Program for intrastate carriers,  purely intrastate carriers, that is those that do not handle interstate/international freight or make interstate/international movements;

(3) private motor carriers of passengers, meaning those that operate as a private motor carrier engaged in the interstate/international transportation of passengers which is provided in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise and is not available to the public at large.

No UCR Credential is required to be carried in the commercial motor vehicle.

If you operated in previous years, back to 2007, and did not register in the UCR for those registration years, you must pay the prior year fees to avoid possible enforcement action.

As a premier processing agency, Truck Services of North America can assist you in obtaining your UCR and more.  TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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