WASHINGTON — Federal regulators likely will approve once again a cut in motor carrier fees collected for registration and safety programs in 2024 but will likely have to raise those fees for the first time in at least a decade starting in ’25.
Based on a recommendation by the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement, which oversees and collects the fees for the 41 states participating in it, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposes reducing them by approximately 9% for the 2024 registration year.
Depending on the number of power units owned or operated by the carrier, freight forwarder or leasing company (from 0 to 1,001 and over), the amount reduced from 2023 will vary between $4 and $3,453 (see table).
| Power units | 0-2 | 3-5 | 6-20 | 21-100 | 101-1,000 | 1,001+ |
| 2023 fee | $41 | $121 | $242 | $844 | $4,024 | $39,289 |
| 2024 fee (proposed) | $37 | $111 | $221 | $769 | $3,670 | $35,836 |
| Change | -$4 | -$10 | -$21 | -$75 | -$354 | -$3,453 |
The 2024 registration fee reduction, scheduled to be published by FMCSA in the Federal Register on Thursday for public comment, compares with a 31% cut made in ’22 (after a late adjustment from an initial 27% reduction) for the ’23 registration year.
The UCR plan analyzes the registration fees that have been collected from carriers and distributed to the states and reconciles them with state revenue entitlements prescribed by Congress and set by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“If the UCR plan determines that the fees received fall short of or exceed what is needed to meet those revenue entitlements … then the UCR Plan Board of Directors will recommend to [FMCSA] that the fee schedule … be adjusted accordingly,” according to UCR Plan Board Chair Elizabeth Leaman’s 2024 recommendation to FMCSA.
No fee adjustments had been recommended for the 2010 through 2017 registration years, while reductions have been made for every registration year since, including the ’22 fee cut and a 14.5% cut for ’20 and ’21.
Leaman notes, however, that the UCR board anticipates an upward adjustment will be “more than likely” for the 2025 registration year following the large fee decreases, because “the UCR plan does not expect that there will be any additional excess funds from overcollection that can be applied to meet the total revenue target” for 2025, she stated in her recommendation.
In addition, FMCSA pointed out that the UCR Plan Board slightly modified from previous years its methodology for developing the 2024 recommendation, when it was based on minimum collections, “as the previous methodology consistently resulted in an underestimation of collections.”
“The UCR Plan Board’s recommendation now uses an average of the historical monthly collections over the prior three-year period to determine projected collections, which will yield a more accurate result.”
Richard M Rehmer
Now if congress would just get rid of the unnecessary F.E.T., the world would be a better place to be a trucker. The federal excise tax was never meant to go on as long as it has, but it is a cheap source of money for the government on the back of individuals who want to purchase a truck
Jeremy
There gonna have alot less trucks to collect fees from if they pass the speed limiter law. I bet 75% of owner opps will call it quits, I know I will.
Beau Butterfield
Yes Yes and Yes. Less talk more action!!!
Doyle Martin
You want to do a survey? Ask about insurance rates. Or government fees.
We are the most taxed and scrutinized of all industries with no end in sight.
We work on a shoestring budget and if we have one incident we get our insurance cancelled or have to pay through the nose.
Amerispeed LLC
Does anyone cares about the Load Rates IN THIS WORLD?! Everything has raised 100% except Rates for the loads.
William sellers
(1) pete buttigieg need to be replaced (fired)
(2) all independents and small companies should park there trucks and shut down!! (Not block) roads to get there point across.
(3) big time lawfirms should be prevented from advertising to make trucking companies insurance in the event of a accident. This causes insurance rates to sky rocket!!
(4)railroad, airlines, school teachers, strike for pay increases every other year! It time we shut down the trucking industry until there treated equal!!
(5)trucking makes the economy thrive better and more efficient than any other form of transportation, and we’re constantly under fire (enough is enough).
(6)brokers should only be allowed a set percent for fright load boards.
(7)we need to (demand) freight rates increase as new restrions are put into place. If the shipper don’t pay it can stay!!
(8)truckers need to shut down this corpt government and fees, tax laws that completely prevent trucking to make a profit. If any profit is made our mafia government takes it!!
(9)government shuts down! We shut down!!
(10)republican/democrats can agree and shut government down, no taxes on anything from payroll, to gas, food until they come to a agreement that best suits the American ppl.
WW
Does anyone know what the UCR does? What is this tax money being spent on?
DS
It should be 100% cut. This is the stupidest tax on the top of the 100 different taxes we have to pay.