Motor carriers would pay between $39 and $37,500, depending on fleet size, under a schedule of fees the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement.

In August 2005, Congress ordered that the UCR Plan replace the Single State Registration System (SSRS) Plan by Jan. 1, 2007. Because the SSRS expired on that date, FMCSA is giving the public only until June 13 to comment on the proposal so it can implement a final rule as soon as possible.

Under the 2005 law, the UCR Plan is an organization that will administer the UCR Agreement – an interstate agreement governing the collection and distribution of registration and financial responsibility information provided and fees paid by motor carriers, motor private carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies.

Thirty-eight states participated in the SSRS last year, and all but California and North Carolina will participate in the UCR this year. In addition, Oregon, which did not participate in the SSRS last year, will participate in the UCR.

As called for in the legislation, FMCSA last year appointed a 15-person board to recommend a fee schedule, which the agency has followed in drafting its proposal. The proposed schedule, which is the total amount to be paid by the company, is as follows:


0 to 2 power units, as well as brokers and leasing companies -- $39.

3 to 5 power units -- $116

6 to 20 power units -- $231

21 to 100 power units -- $806

101 to 1,000 power units -- $3,840

1,001 and above -- $37,500

The fees would raise about $107.3 million in fiscal 2007, all but $5 million of which would go to participating states to replace SSRS revenues. The remaining $5 million goes for administrative expenses of the UCR Plan.

For a copy of the FMCSA proposal, visit http://dms.dot.gov/search and search Docket No. 27871.