International Registration Plan for truckers
July 21, 2008
Today we have the last installment of the three-part summer series from our Motor Carrier Services division. Guest blogger Royce shares the skinny on how easy it is for carriers who drive trucks to get licensed.
Have you ever heard the term “if you have it, then a truck probably brought it”? If you really think about it, that statement is very true. Think about furniture showrooms, car dealerships, grocery stores and department stores, and how their inventory was delivered. Nine times out of ten the items were delivered on tractor trailers moving across the country to be sold in a store near you.
So, how do these trucks that deliver products all over the country for us register and plate their vehicles? The answer is in three little letters: IRP – the International Registration Plan.
The IRP is an agreement providing registration reciprocity between states, and it allows carriers to travel both interstate and intrastate.
The unique feature of the IRP is that fees are paid to the states (from the carriers) and the money is then disbursed to the states where the vehicle will be traveling through. The carrier must first provide the IRP with proof of an established place of business in the designated state. As a result, the carrier is issued one plate and cab card registration for each vehicle registered in its fleet.
The registration cab card lists all the states that the carrier paid fees to travel through. Just like purchasing plates for your cars, the carrier must renew with the IRP each year. Indiana collects these registration fees on a monthly, staggered cycle. The plates that the carriers maintain are permanent, and are required to be renewed each year. The carrier must provide the mileage traveled the previous year in each state, and each vehicle to be renewed is charged a percentage of fees for each state the vehicle will travel through. Supporting documents, such as vehicle titles, lease agreements and other items are required.
The IRP requires that the carrier travels in two or more states and that:
- The power unit having two axles and a gross vehicle weight, or registered gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds
- The power unit having three or more axles, regardless of weight
- The power unit used in combination with a trailer exceeds 26,000 pounds in gross vehicle weight.
To conveniently process renewals and other transactions 24/7 from any location, carriers can visit http://www.dor.in.gov/ Our customer-service center is also open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
So, the next time you buy a big item and maybe even a small one, think about where you bought it and how it was delivered.
- What does the state require to start a business?
- How can I check on my State income tax refund?
- How do I obtain a state tax number to collect sales tax?
- Where is my state tax refund?
- Who can I contact about Indiana income tax?
- Where do I go for tax forms?
- I filed my Indiana tax return. I owe, but am unable to pay at this time. What sh...
- I worked in Indiana six months. Then I worked six months in another state. How s...
- Know when I will receive my tax refund.
- File a part-year Indiana tax return.
- File my taxes as an Indiana resident while I am in the military, but my spouse is not an Indiana resident.
- Take the renter's deduction.
- Pay my tax bill in installments.
- Claim a gambling loss on my Indiana return.
- Have more time to file my taxes and I think I will owe the Department.
