Unified carrier registration (UCR)

Wisconsin will again be a participating state in the Uniform Carrier Registration (UCR) in 2009. Two letters are being sent, one to businesses that are motor carriers and another to brokers, leasing companies, and freight forwarders.

In October 2008, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) sent out over 14,000 letters for 2009 unified carrier registration (UCR).

We have received reports of registrants receiving telephone calls offering to assist with registration and asking for a credit card number. Please note that WisDOT does not call and ask you for your credit card number. Be cautious about these calls, as they may not be legitimate.

Note that if it is a legitimate call, their fee for assistance may be considerably more than the $39 fee to register on your own.

UCR applies to businesses that:

operate a truck or bus in interstate or international commerce, or
make arrangements for the transportation of cargo and goods

The UCR Program requires all individuals and companies that operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate or international commerce to register their business under the UCR program and pay an annual fee based on the size of their fleet.

Companies operating solely as brokers, freight forwarders or leasing companies are required to register and pay a fee of $39. Companies providing both motor carrier services as well as broker, freight forwarder or leasing services are required to pay the fee level set at the motor carrier level.

A "commercial motor vehicle" is defined as a self-propelled or towed vehicle used on the highways in commerce principally to transport passengers or cargo, if the vehicle:

has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater;
is designed to transport 11 or more passengers (including the driver); or
is used in transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding.

The fee brackets for motor carriers are as follows:

Fleet size (including trailers)		Fee per company
From	To
0	2	$39
3	5	$116
6	20	$231
21	100	$806
101	1,000	$3,840
1,001	200,000	$37,500

Example: A motor carrier operating four tractors, eight trailers, and nine straight trucks has a fleet size of twenty-one commercial motor vehicles and pays $806.

The funds received through UCR are used to provide motor carrier safety programs and address commercial motor carrier safety issues throughout the United States.

NOTE: You must be registered before January 1, 2009, in order to operate in interstate commerce. You must register on-line at the UCR National Web site at www.ucr.in.gov and follow the step-by-step instructions. For Wisconsin carriers, there is no option for completing a paper application or mailing a check. You must go on-line at the national Web site. There is a $3 processing fee per application for using this Web site.

Important notice: If you operated in 2007 or 2008 and did not register for UCR, you must pay your 2007 and 2008 UCR fees, as well as the 2009 UCR fee, to avoid possible enforcement action.

There are two payment options available at the national site. You can use an e-check, which will have the funds drawn directly from your bank checking account for an additional $1 fee. An additional percentage fee, based on your UCR fee, will be charged when using a credit card for payment.

For further information, please visit the UCR National Web site. You may also contact the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at (608) 266-9900.

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Related link:

UCR national Web site

Weight restriction programs

For all interstate motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies

The fee brackets for motor carriers are as follows:

Fleet size (including trailers)

Fee per company