Champaign County Farm Bureau

New Truck Regulation Here for Long Haul

New Truck Regulation Here for Long Haul

By Kirk L. Builta, Information Director

It was once as easy as “hauling corn to town”. Now it has more strict oversight of state and federal government regulations. As your operation prepares your tractor-trailer for transport, be sure you have all appropriate licensing materials for your rig. Although you may be done hauling until harvest, be sure you’ve met all requirements as failure to do so can result in a load of sanctions as part of the newly implemented Unified Carrier Registration (UCR).

The UCR was developed as part of the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005, which was part of the federal highway bill replacing the Single State Registration System (SSRS) in all participating states; including Illinois . Although this change was created to identify carriers and enforce Motor Carrier Safety and fitness (insurance) regulations, it has come with much confusion and even after a few years of implementation many drivers are widely unaware of its repercussions.

Truckers are now required to register under the UCR if their rig is to be used as a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce. More specifically, the guidelines apply to any vehicle with a gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more regardless of how it may be licensed. This places both semi tractor-trailers, pickup trucks with livestock trailers and other rigs under its jurisdiction. More importantly, the UCR has jurisdiction over all vehicles who participate in interstate commerce, regardless to the degree or frequency in which they participate in it.

Defined by Federal regulations, interstate commerce is “trade, traffic, or transportation in the between a place in a State and a place outside of that State; between two places in a State through another State; or between two places in a State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State.” More specifically, hauling grain to your local elevator would be considered “interstate” if the load is ultimately shipped outside of the State of Illinois . For instance, hauling grain to a local elevator, which then ships the grain to an Indiana based mill, would be considered Interstate Commerce due to the eventual transportation of the product across state lines. Similarly, corn transported by rail to southern, poultry-producing states would also fall under this definition.

However, if your elevator sells grain to an Illinois based ethanol plant, you do not participate in interstate commerce, thus are not obligated to register under the law.

Illinois Farm Bureau’s Kevin Rund says that thought it is the decision of each firm to register under the UCR, he advises that “farmers should give serious consideration as to whether registration requirements apply to their operation” and suggests that each firm respond accordingly.

If you do find it necessary to register your rig, you must follow a few steps. You will first have to obtain a USDOT number and display it on each qualified vehicle. Once you have filed for you numbers you will be automatically enrolled in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSA) New Entrant Safety Assurance Program, where it is mandated that your firm pass a safety audit and maintain acceptable roadside safety performance.

This audit consists of a visit from an Illinois Department of Transportation auditor, under the direction of the federal government. This visit will include the examination of the carrier’s safety management system and can include driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, accident register, and controlled substance and alcohol testing.

Champaign County Farmer Kent Krukewitt recently completed his audit and was pleasantly surprised by just how “painless” his audit experience was. “I found the audit experience to be more of an educational experience and far less threatening than I first thought” said Krukewitt who owns and operates a third generation grain farm southwest of Homer.

Krukewitt explained that the audit can be viewed as simply as a conversation about your operation. “Since I am not for hire and haul only my own grain there were many exemptions. We then went through a checklist of required items and my operation was graded ‘pass’ or ‘fail’”. Adding to the low-stress experience is the fact that Krukewitt’s audit was completed at the shop bench without even looking at the trucks or trailers.

Following the audit process, Krukewitt said that only minor changes would need to be made to his operation to meet UCR and USDOT guidelines; a pre-employment drug test for his hired part time drivers, and a yearly inspection of his fleet. Krukewitt admits that these activities will take a bit more time and doesn’t believe that all UCR requirements are necessary for all farmers. However, he believes that the Department of Transportation is trying to do the right thing in working towards compliance.

Unlike the USDOT, there are fees related to the UCR based on the number of vehicles your firm registers. A vehicle is measured NOT by the number of power units, however also measures non-motorized units. Therefore, a tractor-trailer would be considered two units under the UCR. The following costs may be incurred when registering your fleet.

Vehicles Charge

0-2 $39

3-5 $116

6-20 $231

21-100 $806

101-1000 $3,840

1001 or more $37,500

Once you have applied for both the USDOT Number and the UCR, you will be asked to display your USDOT number on your rig; however, you are not required to carry any credentials showing your registration with the UCR.

Failure to comply with the Unified Carrier Registration will result in a $300 fine per incident from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). At this time, ICC officers and the Illinois State Police are the only law enforcement entities with jurisdiction to fine you for a lack of registration.

As some farmers register their truck fleet, the Illinois Farm Bureau continues to fight for an agricultural exemption to the Unified Carrier Registration. District 12 IAA Director, Chris Hausman of Pesotum, said he continues to be concerned about the impact the UCR and USDOT could have on the average sized farmer. “The Illinois Farm Bureau believes that farmers, hauling their own products in their own vehicles, many in close proximity to their property and only on a seasonal basis, should not be forced to comply with unnecessary, and often burdensome, regulations” Hausman said. Hausman also stated that the Illinois Farm Bureau supports proposed federal legislation that would provide an agricultural exemption, however it may be some time before this exemption could occur.

So, before you “haul to town”, discuss your operations business with your local elevator. Are you involved in interstate commerce? To register for a USDOT number, contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at (217) 492-4608 or click online at www.fmsca.dot.gov/forms/forms.htm. For more information, or to register your operation for the UCR contact the Illinois Commerce Commission at (217) 782-2593 or online at www.icc.illinois.gov/downloads/public/mc/UCR.pdf.