A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration final rule published in the Federal Register announced reductions in the annual registration fees collected from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement for the registration years 2018, 2019, and subsequent years. The final rule took effect January 5.
For the 2018 registration year, the fees will be reduced below the current level by approximately 9.10% to ensure that fee revenues do not exceed the statutory maximum, and to account for the excess funds held in the depository.
For the 2019 registration year and subsequent years, the fees will be reduced below the current level by approximately 4.55% to ensure the fee revenues in that and future years do not exceed the statutory maximum.
FMCSA examined the 2012 Economic Census data for two different industries; truck transportation (Subsector 484) and transit and ground transportation (Subsector 485). According to the 2012 Economic Census, approximately 99% of truck transportation firms, and approximately 97% of transit and ground transportation firms, had annual revenue less than the Small Business Administration revenue threshold of $27.5 million and $15 million, respectively.
Therefore, FMCSA has determined that this rule will impact a substantial number of small entities. However, FMCSA has determined that this rule will not have a significant impact on the affected entities. The effect of this rule will be to reduce the registration fee motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies are currently required to pay.
The reduction will range from approximately $7 to $6,700 per entity, in the first year, and from approximately $3 to $3,400 per entity in subsequent years, depending on the number of vehicles owned and/or operated by the affected entities. FMCSA asserts that the reduction in fees will be entirely beneficial to these entities, and will not have a significant impact on the affected small entities.