As the new year approaches, it’s renewal season for some operating credentials such as Unified Carrier Registration (UCR).
For motorcoach and bus operators with vehicles operating in the United States, the deadline for completing the UCR filing and fee payment is Dec. 31.
The UCR filing site is https://plan.ucr.gov, which is the official Unified Carrier Registration site.
Canada-based carriers are subject to the UCR filings. Even though they are not based in a state that is a member of the UCR, they must choose a UCR filing base state. For example, a company based in Alberta without any other business locations can choose Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, or Washington as its UCR filing base state.
The fees are based on the total number of commercial vehicles the carrier operates in the United States. Typically, carriers use the number of commercial vehicles (not including trailers) as reported on the MCS-150 that is on file with the FMCSA as the vehicle count for UCR purposes.
The fees per entity for 2022 are as follows:
0-2 vehicles — $59
3-5 vehicles — $176
6-20 vehicles — $351
21-100 vehicles – $1,224
101-1,000 vehicles — $5,835
1,001+ vehicles — $56,977
Operators should be careful of third parties that compel them to use their service for a fee, warns Ken Presley, United Motorcoach Association’s Vice President, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs & Industry Relations/COO.
“Some very costly,” said Presley. “These services are not endorsed or licensed by the United States Department of Transportation. If you use one of these services, there is no assurance that they will actually submit your funds appropriately.”
Presley added, “while complying with government reports can sometimes seem daunting, this one is easy, takes only a couple of minutes and you save the fees you may have spent with a third party.”
The fees are used to fund motor carrier safety initiatives and enforcement programs in the U.S., as well as to fund the UCR program. Operators who don’t complete a UCR filing or pay its fees can face monetary penalties from states.
Filings must be completed before operating into the United States, and before Dec. 31, 2021, if renewing for 2022, to avoid any penalties.
