Every year, motor carriers and truck drivers must ensure they comply with the different ordinances, permits, and certificates required by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).
A Unified Carrier Registration is one of these certificates that all truck companies and motor carriers need when conducting interstate travel. If you do not file for this certificate, you will not comply with the Department of Transportation and may face various penalties and fees.
Continue reading to understand the details about Unified Carrier Registration. This way, you guarantee you comply with the Department of Transportation standards and certifications to avoid any fees, penalties, or suspensions.
The UCR, or Unified Carrier Registration, is a federal system put in place by the United States Department of Transportation. This program mandates that drivers of commercial vehicles, motor carriers, and other trucking companies that do any type of interstate or international travel must have a UCR certificate and filing to complete their work.
If you drive a commercial vehicle or any vehicle that carries goods and transports cargo from state to state, you must complete a UCR filing. This includes drivers' freight shipping items like foods, cargo, and any other goods that your company may ship across state lines.
If you work for a motor carrier company or various brokers, then it's important that you check with your company to ensure you are UCR registered and compliant to avoid fines or penalties.
The Unified Carrier Registration Program is a federally mandated order, but not every state participates. If you live in one of the following states, including the District of Columbia, Arizona, Hawaii, New Jersey, Florida,Maryland, Oregon, Vermont, Nevada, or Wyoming, your state does not participate in this program.
This means that you do not have to go through any of the standard Unified Carrier Program, but that does not exempt you from needing to file a UCR registration. While you do not need to go through the program, you must still purchase your own UCR certificate in the nearest participating state.
So, for example, if you live in Arizona but you commonly travel across state lines carrying shipments and cargo, then you purchase your UCR filing from a nearby state that follows these filings, like New Mexico, to ensure you comply with their standards.
Applying for your UCR depends on your fee bracket. This bracket number refers to the number of trucks or commercial vehicles your company owns and operates for interstate travel. Due to the large range of business sizes, these UCR fees for 2024 range from $38 upwards of $35,837. The total service, processing and UCR fees that we assess for 2024 ranges from $180 upwards of $48,289.
If you have questions about your filing fee, it's best to speak with a agent at Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings to make sure you're paying the right price, applying for the correct certificate, and remaining in compliance with every permit to operate your trucking business successfully.
As of January 2024, all trucking companies carrying cargo and shipments across state lines must comply by obtaining a UCR. If you do not have a current Unified Carrier Registration on file, a few penalties may come your way that detrimentally affect your trucking company.
For example, if you are caught driving and conducting interstate transportation, you could face suspension or detainment of your trucks. In addition to this setback, you may also be fined various penalties.
The range for these fees and penalties varies widely, and they're determined based on which state you are in when penalized.
Typically you can expect a fine for not paying or filing your UCR to be anywhere from $200 to $5,000. But, if you are caught completing Interstate travel without a UCR more than once, you face higher penalties and fines for your violations.
Here's the good news: filing for a UCR doesn't have to be complicated, and you can even complete your Unified Carrier Registration filing online. When you complete your UCR program, you'll need your USDOT numbers for any trucks.
Remember that the United States Department of Transportation declares that you must complete the annual filing for your Unified Carrier Registration before the new year. Typically, you must file before December 31st to ensure registration is compliant for the following year of interstate travel.
FMCA Filings, or Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings, makes it easy and efficient to access miscellaneous permits, licenses, certifications, and filings required by the United States Department of Transportation.
When you choose Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings, you have access to a wide variety of important annual permits, state permits, letters, compliance checks, exemptions, and various filings, all from an online location.
Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filing's comprehensive database of all currently required permits helps truck drivers and truck company owners stay on top of their business needs to comply with the law.
The ability to apply for these permits and filings online is what sets Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings apart from other filing companies. At Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filing’s, we ensure efficient and thorough filings so you can rest easy knowing your trucking company is up-to-date on your UCR and more.
When you need Unified Carrier Registration filing completed in a timely manner, contact Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings to finalize your UCR and other permits to maintain a legal operation for your trucking business!