A new interstate motor carrier will be required to obtain the following transportation related licenses and pay the following fees and taxes (which normally may be paid by credit card):
USDOT Number – no filing fee
FMCSA: $300 for the operating authority application (one-time fee)
BOC-3: $35 for a BOC-3 registered agent service (one-time fee)
UCR: $37 to $221 (1 to 20 trucks). This annual fee is required for all interstate operations, and increases based on the number of vehicles you operate.
PUCO: $30 per tractor, $20 per straight truck (quarterly proration). This fee is not charged annually, as long as you timely pay the UCR and retain active interstate authority
IFTA Registration, has no fee, but requires quarterly filings and taxes
IRP License Plates approximately $2,000 per truck (80,000 GVWR), fee varies depending on the vehicle (annual).
2290 Federal Excise Tax - $550.00 per year per semi-tractor (annual)
KYU Registration has no fee, but requires quarterly filings and taxes
Connecticut HUF has no fee, but requires quarterly filings and taxes, if you drive through Connecticut
NY HUT, decal fees of $1.50/vehicle. Tax returns are due monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on volume, if you drive through New York
If you drive through California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Connecticut, or Oregon there are additional requirements.
If you are going to transport through certain states, additional tax registration may be necessary, including Kentucky, Connecticut, and New York. If you have any operations in New Mexico, Oregon, California, Arizona, or Nevada, please contact our office to discuss compliance in these states.
Certain states and cities are also now demanding payment of business activity taxes, if you pickup or deliver loads within their jurisdictions, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and St. Louis.
If the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 or more pounds or a combined gross vehicle weight of 26,001 or more pounds, International Registration Plan (IRP) license plates and an International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) permit must be in place. Please contact our office if you would like assistance with either of these filings.
For all vehicles with a GVWR of 55,000 pounds or greater, you must pay the HVUT to the IRS using Form 2290. The HVUT is paid within 30 days of purchasing a vehicle, and is due annually before August 31st. If you purchased the vehicle more than 60 days ago, you will need proof you paid the HVUT to complete your IRP registration.
Numerous safety rules exist of which your business must be aware and with which it must comply. Including PUCO regulations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including:
Controlled substances and alcohol testing
Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Queries
Accident records
Driver qualifications
Hours of service records
Equipment/maintenance records
Additional information about safety compliance can be found at the PUCO website for Motor Carrier Industry at PUCO.Ohio.gov and the Motor Carrier Safety Guidebook available at the PUCO website.
You can also obtain guidance from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Safety Planner.
You must complete your FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Registration before beginning operations. Motor carriers are required to submit all driver applicants, and annually all drivers, to the FMCSA Clearinghouse, at a cost of $1.25 per query, to confirm no positive tests or refusals have been reported on that driver. This does not replace the requirement to also send the previous employer investigations, pursuant to 49 C.F.R. § 391.23. You should register now and buy a few queries, and direct all drivers to register for the Clearinghouse individually, if they have not already done so.
You must:
Register with the FMCSA Clearinghouse as a motor carrier and pre-purchase a block of queries (there is no discount for buying in bulk).
Provide training to all drivers about the clearinghouse, and update your driver handbook with this information.
Obtain a Limited Consent Release from each applicant and current driver.
Submit the applicant to the clearinghouse for a full query for pre-employment purposes, and obtain a "Driver Not Prohibited" result, before putting them behind the wheel.
The driver must login to the Clearinghouse to release the query results to you.
Annually submit all drivers to the clearinghouse for a limited query, at which time the drivers will not need to release the results.
In order to register, you will need your FMCSA portal account credentials, and your USDOT PIN.
All new motor carriers are enrolled in the New Entrant Motor Carrier Safety Program. Click this link for detailed information. Your company will undergo a safety audit conducted by either the FMCSA or its Ohio PUCO state partner within 18 months.