UCR Registration Is Now Open for 2027

Many carriers have signed up to have their 2027 registration automatically renewed by the NRS. These carriers will receive emails to remind them of the upcoming automatic registration. These registrations will all be done with option A and use the number of power units on their most current MCS-150 form. Payment will be automatically completed through the credit card the carrier authorized on the NRS. For assistance with how to help carriers through this process, please contact the UCR helpdesk at 1-833-827-7526 or email them at [email protected].

2027 UCR Registration Year Fee Update

USDOT/FMCSA has approved fees for the 2027 UCR Registration Year. This rulemaking takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. See below for more details and learn more on the Federal Register website.

FMCSA amends the regulations governing the annual Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement registration fees that participating States collect from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. On September 18, 2025, the UCR Board recommended a fee increase for the 2027 registration year and subsequent registration years. This recommended increase averages 20 percent over the fee structure adopted for 2025 and retained for 2026, with varying increases ranging between $9 and $9,329 per entity, depending on the applicable fee bracket. Although the fees for registration year 2027 are increased, they are less than those in effect during registration years 2019 through 2022. FMCSA adopts the recommended fee increase.

Inspector Recognition

The inspector who noted the most UCR violations in October 2026 was FMCSA Safety Investigator David Chavez. Investigator Chavez issued 28 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/.

Dispute Resolution

When it passed the Unified Carrier Registration Act, Congress recognized that disputes concerning the Act’s implementation and operation would be bound to arise and provided for the resolution of such disputes by the parties most closely concerned in them; that is, the states participating in the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and the motor carriers and other entities subject to the fees imposed by the Act.

The Act requires the Board to: Provide procedures for dispute resolution under the [UCR] agreement that provide due process for all involved parties. 49 U.S. Code 14504a(d)(2)(A)(iv)

In addition, the Act provides: The board may contract with any person or any agency of a State to perform administrative functions required under the unified carrier registration agreement, but may not delegate its decision or policy-making responsibilities. U.S. Code 14504a(d)(6) [underscoring added] and the chairperson [of the Board] shall appoint … a dispute resolution subcommittee …. 49 U.S. Code 14504a(d)(5)(B)

View the complete Dispute Resolution Procedure 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: State Admin Training

The UCR State Admin 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.

Trucking group’s lawsuit threatens to upend federal carrier registration system

A federal appeals court challenge to the U.S. Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) system could disrupt annual registration fees paid by trucking companies and threaten funding for state commercial vehicle safety programs, according to the organization that administers the program.

The Small Business in Transportation Coalition (SBTC) filed a petition Oct. 20 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2027 UCR fee rule and alleging that the registration system and its governing board were never lawfully established.

Source: “Trucking group’s lawsuit threatens to upend federal carrier registration system,” Nov. 3, 2026. https://www.freightwaves.com/

Trucking recovery in early stages, ATA’s Costello says

The trucking industry is only at the beginning of a supply-driven recovery after a prolonged downcycle, American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello said.

Costello made his remarks during his annual economic and trucking update in partnership with U.S. Bank. The freight downcycle has become a central topic during these discussions in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic had driven a freight boom that resulted in an oversupply of capacity when freight demand eventually adjusted.

Source: “Trucking recovery in early stages, ATA’s Costello says,” Nov. 5, 2026. https://www.ttnews.com/

DAT: Load and truck posts diverge as spot truckload rates edge higher

DAT One load posts totaled 2.75 million for the week of Oct. 24-30, up 7% from the prior week.

“Total equipment posts fell 6% to 174,104,” DAT Freight & Analytics said. “Spot linehaul rates rose 1 to 3 cents per mile, and a higher diesel price added about 2 cents to the fuel surcharge, lifting broker-to-carrier spot rates by 3 to 5 cents. A linehaul increase drove most of the rate gains for van and reefer; for flatbed, fuel accounted for more of the increase than linehaul.”

Source: “DAT: Load and truck posts diverge as spot truckload rates edge higher,” Nov. 4, 2026. https://www.thetrucker.com/