The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a final rule April 27, 2010, that will significantly increase fees for motor carriers under the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA).
The new fee schedule adheres to an agreement reached with the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) requiring leasing companies to only pay one annual fee regardless of fleet size. Leasing companies will see their annual fees increase from $39 to $76. Increases for motor carriers are also significant. The new fee schedule is effective as of January 1, 2010, and will equate to a 95% increase across the board under the UCRA.
Also effective as of January 1, 2010 under the UCRA is the change in definition of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). The definition of a CMV under the UCRA previously included both power units and trailers. Now, only power units will be counted for purposes of determining a fleet size. TRALA had stated in a comment letter to FMCSA that the change in definition of a CMV should be the only calculation to lead to fee increases, but the increases published in the final rule greatly exceed that adjustment.
This rulemaking to increase UCRA fees has been in the works for quite some time. FMCSA published a proposed rule September 9, 200, that proposed to increase the fees by about 122% and only allowed for a 15-day comment period. TRALA and other industry groups asked for more time to consider the proposal. An extended comment period was granted, and TRALA wrote a letter stating opposition to unreasonable fee increases. TRALA’s position is that failing to address problems with the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), the database used to track registrants, and the lack of effective enforcement by states was contributing to the shortfall in state revenue under the UCRA.
However, an increase in fees across the board for leasing companies and motor carriers while failing to address the flawed MCMIS and lack of state enforcement effectively penalizes companies that have complied with the program. TRALA stated its concern that failure to address the flaws in the UCRA and related state actions will lead to continued funding shortfalls and subsequent fee increases.
For more information, contact TRALA’s Joe Sculley at [email protected] or by calling (703) 299-9120.