Enforcement Partners: Participate in the UCR Awareness Initiative

The UCR Enforcement Subcommittee is asking enforcement partners to participate in the biannual ‎UCR Awareness Initiative, which will be conducted June 7-13, 2026. To participate, ‎please contact us via email. Those ‎participating will not be required to collect data or track activity.‎ Get full details here.

FMCSA’s New Modernized Registration System (Motus)

FMCSA has asked UCR to reach out to motor carriers, brokers, and other registered entities regarding the upcoming launch of FMCSA’s New Modernized Registration System (Motus) with the following information to ensure a smooth transition to the new System. Please review the information from FMCSA and take action to prepare for the rollout.

It is critical that motor carriers, brokers, and other registered entities log in to the FMCSA Portal now to ensure their Portal accounts are up to date. Failure to take these steps may result in existing registrants being unable to claim their USDOT Number in Motus once the system goes live.

FMCSA Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for 2027 UCR Registration Fees

On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, FMCSA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) concerning proposed amendments to fees for the 2027 UCR Registration Year. The proposed fees for 2027 are the same as what the UCR Plan Board recommended, and the increase averages 20 percent from the 2026 registration year, which 2026 registration fees did not change from the 2025 Registration Year. Public comments on the NPRM must be received on or before May 7, 2026, and the methods of submitting comments are found in the NPRM. Click here to view the NPRM in its entirety.

March 2026 UCR Board of Directors Meeting

In conjunction with the March 2026 UCR Board of Directors Meeting in Boston, MA, participants had the opportunity to observe a bus safety inspection. Special thanks to Cheryl Gard for graciously accommodating the group and providing an overview of the comprehensive steps involved in conducting these thorough safety inspections. (Pictured from left to right: Matt Mantione, Michelle Hall, Elizabeth Leaman, Cheryl Gard, Crystal Stevens, Mike Hoeme, Lori Lefai, Avelino Gutierrez, Bill Debord).

UCR Awards

UCR Awards recognizing 2025 enforcement excellence were presented to the New York State Department of Transportation for the Highest Enforcement Efficiency Rate and Most Violations Issued; the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Enforcement for Most Improved Enforcement Efficiency Rate; and Officer Scott Grimm of the Illinois Commerce Commission Police as Top UCR Inspector. (Pictured from left to right: Conor Morgan accepting for New York; Elizabeth Leaman, UCR Board Chair; Kristen Burch accepting for Officer Scott Grimm of Illinois; and Crystal Stevens accepting for Oklahoma.)

UCR Board Votes to Send Letter to Participating States Requesting Demonstration of Compliance With the UCR Act

Based on a motion from FMCSA, on March 26, 2026, the UCR Plan Board voted to send a letter to all 41 UCR Plan participating states requesting that each state demonstrate that participating states use entitlement revenue in accordance with 49 U.S.C. Section 14504a(e)(1)(B) of the UCR Act. Specifically, the letter will request that participating states demonstrate the use of an amount at least equal to the revenue derived from the UCR Agreement for motor carrier safety programs, enforcement, or the administration of the UCR Plan and UCR Agreement. The letter will request this information from the states for the last three completed fiscal years, and that the states provide the requested documentation through an electronic repository on or before August 1, 2026.  Avelino Gutierrez will also be reaching out to each participating state in the next couple of weeks to learn the appropriate person(s) in each state to send the letter to in order to best obtain the requested information. Thank you for your cooperation.

Inspector Recognition

The inspector who noted the most UCR violations in March 2026 was Officer Scott Grimm, Illinois Commerce Commission Police. Officer Grimm issued 31 violations. 

The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Enforcement Subcommittee is pleased to recognize the inspector who issues the highest number of UCR violations each month. An annual award will be awarded to the inspector with the most cumulative violations over the year. The mission of the UCR Enforcement Subcommittee is to increase UCR enforcement, standardize enforcement practices, support enforcement agencies, and provide education and training resources. For more information about the UCR Enforcement Subcommittee, please visit https://plan.ucr.gov/subcommittee-members/.

Policy Spotlight: Conflict of Interest Policy

The UCR Conflict of Interest Policy: (1) defines conflicts of interest; (2) identifies classes of individuals within the UCR covered by this policy; (3) facilitates disclosure of information that may help identify conflicts of interest; and (4) specifies procedures to be followed in managing conflicts of interest.

View the complete Conflict of Interest Policy in this document.

View this and all of the policies and procedures adopted by the UCR Board of Directors in the Document Library.

Education for Compliance Training Spotlight: Other Stakeholder Training

The UCR Other Stakeholder Training provides an overview of the Unified Carrier Registration Plan, including who needs to register and how to do so, and multiple guides for state employees on administrative tasks such as tracking registrations, refunding payments, and conducting audits.

View this training and further educational resources to support training for stakeholders in motor carrier regulation in the UCR Plan Educational Resources for Compliance Training.

How Does a California Fleet Tackle $7 Diesel?

California diesel prices are above $7 a gallon, and carriers are eyeing battery-electric trucks more closely again, particularly as tractors with longer ranges become available in 2026. In some cases, it can be cheaper than buying a diesel truck, carrier executives say, with newcomers’ prices also enticing. The average on-highway price of diesel in California was $7.219 a gallon on March 30, a 44.7% increase compared with $4.99 a gallon on March 2 and up 55.6% from $4.641 on the first Monday of 2026, according to Energy Information Administration data.

Source: “How Does a California Fleet Tackle $7 Diesel,” Apr 2, 2026. https://www.ttnews.com/

Ready or not: CVSA’s 2026 out-of-service criteria is now in effect

April 1 may be a day for pranks and tomfoolery, but this is no joke: Starting today, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 2026 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria are now in effect, replacing and superseding all previous versions.
Certified commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement personnel use these criteria to determine whether drivers or vehicles present an imminent hazard and should be placed out of service. Federal regulations, together with CVSA’s out-of-service criteria, provide the standards that drivers, motor carriers and law enforcement personnel use to ensure the commercial motor vehicles and professional drivers operating on North America’s roadways are safe and compliant.

Source: “Ready or not: CVSA’s 2026 out-of-service criteria is now in effect,” Apr 1, 2026. https://www.thetrucker.com/

Women In Trucking names Ingrid Brown its 2026 Driver of the Year

A veteran driver well known for her activities in the national trucking community was honored during the recently concluded Mid-America Trucking Show. The Women In Trucking Association announced Ingrid Brown, professional driver and operations manager for Blackjack Express, LLC, won the organization’s 2026 Driver of the Year Award, sponsored by Walmart. Brown was among four finalists for the award.

Source: “Women In Trucking names Ingrid Brown its 2026 Driver of the Year,” Mar 30, 2026. https://www.truckersnews.com/