What is a UCR?
Established by the passing of Federal law in 2005, the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is a revenue-sharing program run by state interstate commerce compacts. The law requires all individuals who operate a CMV for interstate or international travel to register a UCR and pay fees annually.
In general, CMV operators who may need to apply for UCR include any company or organization that ships goods across state or international borders. These can consist of leasing companies, freight forwarders, brokers, and any business that has a federal MC designation number.
Those fees gathered from required operators are utilized to increase awareness and compliance of federally regulated compliance and safety programs for CMV drivers across the country.
Non-compliance by required CMV operators can result in fees and penalties – many of which can reduce a company’s ability to engage in interstate commerce. This is why it is critical that those who fall under the UCR Board’s definition of CMV apply and receive their UCR immediately.
Breaking Down the new CMV Definition
The USDOT and FMCSA require that all operators carry an updated and current Unified Carrier Registration for those operating a commercial motor vehicle. In order to ensure that the necessary vehicles have the proper UCR, it is essential to understand how the UCR Board defines CMVs – and what changes have recently been made to the definition itself.
Let’s take a closer look at the current UCR Board definition for CMV status, as well as the changes and updates that have just been released:
Weight Requirements
The UCR Board has determined that a vehicle that maintains a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,001 pounds must be licensed with a UCR.
What Changed: The UCR Board has added to this requirement that any vehicle that utilizes connected trailing equipment that reaches the 10,001-pound weight size must be added to the list of vehicles that must apply for a UCR.
Hazardous Materials
If a vehicle transports a placarded amount of material that is considered to be hazardous, that CMV must be registered with a UCR to travel legally.
What Changed: The UCR Board has not made any changes to the hazardous material regulation.
Passenger On Board
The UCR Board’s requirement for a CMV has been that any vehicle that transports ten or more passengers must have a current UCR to operate legally.
What has changed: The UCR Board has updated the requirement to include the driver of the CMV as one of the ten or more passengers in the vehicle. This may impact the requirement for those who were transporting individuals on the ten-person limit.
The changes to the UCR Board’s definition for CMVs are relatively minor. However, there are a variety of operators on the road today that these updates may impact. It is critical that companies update themselves on the latest UCR requirements for their drivers.
Failure to do so may result in fees, penalties, legal action, and the detainment of CMVs that are not compliant.
When is my UCR Filing Due?
Those CMV carriers that are required to file for UCR must do so by December 31 of the year prior to registration. For 2022, this means that companies must file and apply for their UCR by December 31, 2021.
The window for filing for your UCR begins in the fall. Payment amounts will vary depending on the size of the fleet that a particular carrier or operator utilizes. This includes any vehicles that are currently leased through the carrier’s DOT designation – so it is vital that operators have a complete and accurate account of all of their vehicles that are operating on the road.
As stated above, failure to apply and pay for a UCR can result in various penalties:
– CMV detainment of non-compliant operators
– Financial fees in upwards of $5,000 dollars per fine
– Inability to move goods across state or international lines
The penalties involved with non-compliance far outweigh the time and effort it takes to successfully apply for a UCR, so don’t let the months slip by without ensuring your company is registered.
File Your UCR Successfully with Purcell
As a business owner and operator, it is easy to allow the months to go by and forget to apply for the necessary permits, licenses, and registrations. However, failure to keep up with the latest updates for CMV compliance can lead to costly headaches and penalties.
If you need to apply for your 2022 UCR or any other CMV-related licenses, contact the team at Purcell Compliance Services today. Our experienced team can help you understand the latest changes to the UCR process and requirements and will work with you to ensure that your fleet and operators are fully compliant with all necessary regulations.
You can file your UCR for 1 to 2 fleet click here! For larger fleets schedule an appointment.
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