Implementation of UCR Program Underway

FMCSA’s publication of the new Unified Carrier Registration system fee structure on August 24, 2007 has allowed the states to take the final steps to start collecting registration fees under the new UCR plan. It is expected that carriers may begin registering under the new plan as early as September 10. Indiana has developed a new on-line registration system that will expedite this process.

A provision in the 9/11 Security bill passed by the Congress earlier in the summer would have re-instituted the old SSRS system for the remainder of 2007 if the new UCR registration fee rule had not been published by the FMCSA.

Throughout this year, the UCR Board continued work to set up the infrastructure enabling the UCR program to function despite the uncertainty surrounding the publication of the new fee structure and the possibility that SSRS might have been re-instituted. Because of these efforts and the recent publication of the rule establishing the fees, states that had participated in the old SSRS system, can now look forward to UCR replacement revenue for 2007 and future years.

CVSA’s Bill Leonard of the New York State DOT, and member of the UCR Board, will update the CVSA membership on all of the UCR implementation details at the upcoming Pittsburgh Workshop.

DOT ’08 Appropriations Bill May Move Sooner Than Expected

While the House has already passed the 2008 DOT Appropriations bill, the Senate has yet to act. The Senate Appropriations Committee reported the bill before the August recess, but how quickly the bill would be taken up on the Senate floor was in doubt. However, upon the return of Congress this week, Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, said the bill could come to the Senate floor as early as next week. Then the bill must be conferenced with the House. But this process will still have to move on a fast track for work on the bill to be completed by September 30 in order to avoid a CR (Continuing Resolution).

CVSA’s Reauthorization Committee Will Meet in Pittsburgh

Alan Martin, Deputy Director of Transportation for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and Chairman of CVSA’s recently organized Reauthorization Committee, has called the first meeting of his group on Saturday, September 15, in Pittsburgh just prior to the opening of CVSA’s Fall Workshop.

The Reauthorization Committee prepared and sent out a comprehensive survey to the membership in order to determine key issues that should be considered in the reauthorization process. If you have not yet responded to the survey, please try to do so as soon as possible. Your response will greatly help the work of the Committee.