How To Adjust the Number of Trucks Registered Under Your UCR
When working on your Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) submission, the number of trucks in your fleet determines the fees you’ll pay. The UCR program is federally mandated, so properly updating the UCR number of trucking assets you have is vital to paying the correct fees. When you need help with UCR registration in 2025, count on FMCA Filings to walk you through every step.
Learn more about UCR compliance and adjusting your truck fleet count.
Why Having an Accurate Count for UCR Is Vital
UCR became federal law in 2005. If your company participates in interstate and international commerce using commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), you must follow the UCR rules.
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) manages the UCR process. Working through the FMCSA requirements can be time-consuming, but having help with the filing process from the experts at FMCA Filings simplifies the process.
Fees generated under UCR go toward highway safety and carrier safety management programs. The fees you’ll pay depend on the number of CMVs you have in the fleet. Even though UCR is a federally monitored program, the states manage audits under UCR.
You need an accurate CMV count on all your federal FMCSA forms to deal with a potential audit. Making an error in counting the number of CMVs is one of the most common reasons for an audit.
For example, if your CMV count doesn’t remain consistent on all the forms, you’ll receive an automatic audit. FMCA Filings helps you manage the information on all your forms, ensuring you stay in compliance.
Steps for Adjusting Your Trucking Count To Maintain UCR Compliance
Accurately counting your UCR number of trucking assets requires following a few steps to avoid fines and work successfully through an audit.
It’s important to have accurate CMV counts. If you try to move from a higher tier to a lower tier—which would reduce the UCR fees you pay—the state will audit you. You need to have accurate records to justify why you’re dropping into a lower tier with lower fees.
Count Your Total Number of Vehicles and Determine How Many Are CMVs
Start by counting how many vehicles are registered under your carrier company, including those under long-term leases.
Then determine how many of these vehicles are CMVs. The UCR rules define a CMV as a vehicle used on highways to transport cargo. Vehicles with gross vehicle weights or weight ratings of more than 10,000 pounds are CMVs, although some exceptions exist.
Vehicles with the capacity to carry more than 10 passengers qualify as CMVs, too.
Figure Out When the CMVs Became Part of the Fleet
The next step in counting the UCR number of trucking assets is determining exactly when your CMVs became part of the fleet and you have two options for setting this date.
One option is using the number from the last Form MCS-150 that you filed with the FMCSA. The other option involves determining how many CMVs your company owned as of June 30, as this is the date at which the UCR fees are determined.
Our team at FMCA Filings can help you decide which option is better for your financial situation. We’ll make sure your records are accurate and back up the option you select.
Determine Whether Any of the Vehicles Qualify for Provisions
With the full count of CMVs in your fleet, you can then determine whether any of the motor vehicles qualify for provisions. Under the UCR rules, you could remove certain classes of vehicles from your count and reduce your fees, including:
- Smaller vehicles
- Certain intrastate vehicles
- Vehicles that transfer recyclables
Maintaining the records to qualify for these provisions can be difficult, which is why it’s optional for carriers to try to receive them. Our record-keeping experts at FMCA Filings work to make the process easier for you, ensuring you’re in full compliance. We make sure your records remain accurate and detailed to help with any audit you are facing.
Let FMCA Filings Simplify Staying in Compliance With UCR
Managing compliance under UCR can be a significant headache for operators. Submitting inaccurate data could cost you thousands of dollars and a considerable amount of time through fines and audits.
Our experts at FMCA Filings can help with many different FMCSA requirements for the trucking authority. We’ll help with managing your UCR status, DOT registration, MC number, and accurately submitting your UCR number of trucking vehicles. Contact us today for help with managing your company’s filing needs.