UCR Information
Unified Carrier Registration (UCR)
Notice to Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Carriers,
Brokers and Freight Forwarders:
2012 UCR fees are now being accepted. The PUC mailed notices
to motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders on October
3, 2011.
The PUC encourages payment of the 2012 UCR fee by December 31, 2011, in order to
avoid fines for failure to meet the deadline.
Overview
The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Act went into effect
on Jan. 1, 2007.
Pennsylvania, through
the PUC, participates in the UCR program. Pennsylvania is the base state for all businesses
with their principal place of business located in Pennsylvania, as reported on their
Federal Motor Carrier Identification Report (MCS-150). Carriers are strongly urged
to update the information on their MCS-150 prior to filing the UCR registration. This can be completed on-line at
http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx .
The UCR Act requires motor carriers (including for-hire, private and exempt motor
carriers), leasing companies, freight forwarders, and brokers that operate in interstate
commerce to register with the program and pay a fee. These fees will fund motor carrier safety and enforcement programs. The
UCR Act is not applicable to businesses whose operations are wholly intrastate.
The 2010 UCR fees range from $76 to $73,346 for motor carriers, and are
a flat $76 for freight forwarders, brokers, and leasing companies. The fees are based
upon the type of business, and additionally for motor carriers, the size of their
fleet.
Further information on the UCR Act can be found at
www.ucr.in.gov. You may also direct questions to the
inspection division of the Bureau of Investigation and
Enforcement at (717) 783-3846 or (717) 783-5934.
Notices
2012 Notice to PA Carriers
2012 Notice PA Freight Forwarders, Brokers and Leasing Companies
2011 Notice to PA Carriers
2011 Notice PA Freight Forwarders, Brokers and Leasing Companies
2010 Notice to PA Carriers
2010 Notice PA Freight Forwarders, Brokers and Leasing Companies
Motor Carriers
Motor carriers that operate in interstate commerce must
pay a UCR annual fee based on the size of their fleet. Due to a
change in the law, trailers will no longer be included in
calculating the size of the carrier's fleet. For the purposes of the UCR
Act, a commercial motor vehicle is defined as a self-propelled vehicle
used on the highways in commerce principally to transport passengers or cargo, if
the vehicle:
(a) has a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,001 pounds or more;
(b) is designed to transport 11 or more passengers (including the driver); or
(c) is used in transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards.
Interstate Carriers Who Also Hold PUC Operating Authority
Interstate carriers that also hold operating authority from the
Public Utility Commission and pay the UCR fee must still pay a
PUC assessment on revenue earned from non-UCR operations.
UCR operations are limited to: (1) group and party service in
vehicles seating 16 or more passengers, including the driver;
and (2) property service (does not include household goods).
Note that payment of the Commission assessment (based on non-UCR
related operations) will not relieve a carrier from registering
under the UCR Act and paying the appropriate UCR fee for that
portion of its operations subject to the UCR program. Carriers must verify their interstate operations with the Commission on the annual
Assessment Report. Carriers will be asked to provide their US DOT number, and if
appropriate their MC number. Interstate carriers that also hold operating authority from the PUC are not required to display the PUC number on their
vehicles, nor carry any credentials demonstrating PUC authority.
US DOT Number
Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo
in interstate commerce must be registered with the FMCSA and must have a USDOT
number.
Also, commercial intrastate hazardous materials carriers who haul quantities requiring
a safety permit must register for a USDOT number. The USDOT number serves as a unique
identifier when collecting and monitoring a company's safety information acquired
during audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and inspections. Further
information about obtaining a US DOT number can be found at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
MC Number
FMCSA operating authority is also referred to as an "MC," "FF," or "MX" number,
depending on the type of authority that is granted. Unlike the USDOT
number application
process, a company may need to obtain multiple operating authorities to support
its planned business operations. Operating authority dictates the type of operation
a company may engage, the cargo it may carry, and the geographical area in which
it may legally operate. Carriers not required to have operating authority include
Private carriers, "for-hire" carriers that exclusively haul exempt commodities (cargo
that is not federally regulated), or carriers that operate exclusively within a
federally designated "commercial zone" that is exempt from interstate authority
rules. Further information about obtaining interstate operating authority (MC number)
can be found at
www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Wholly Intrastate Carriers
Carriers who hold operating authority from the Public Utility Commission whose operations
are wholly intrastate, are not subject to the UCR Act and
will continue to pay the annual assessment to the Commission.
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