National Truck Driver Appreciation Day

On October 4, we celebrated National Truckers Appreciation Day, which was founded by used truck salesman Bill Stearns in 2020. This day of recognition honors those who deliver the food on our tables, the clothes on our backs, and everything else we use or consume. Read on to learn more about this special observance!

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 September 2026 was Officer Scott Grimm, Illinois Commerce Commission Police. Officer Grimm issued 19 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: UCR State Performance Standards

In order to participate in the UCR program, a state was required by the UCR Act to file an election with the Secretary of the USDOT within three years after the Act became law.  Any state that did not make an election was barred from joining UCR.  A state that made an election to participate agreed to be bound by a set of requirements needed to fairly enforce the UCR Act and the UCR Agreement. 

Accordingly, the participating states will be required to undergo periodic compliance reviews, administered by, and with oversight from the UCR Audit Subcommittee and the UCR Board of Directors.

View the complete UCR State Performance Standards 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: State Auditor Training

The UCR State Auditor 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 Education & Training Center.

Trump forced-labor tariffs face skeptical trade court

The Trump administration faced skeptical questions from a U.S. trade court about the legal foundation underpinning President Donald Trump’s latest round of global tariffs, once again putting one of his signature economic policies under a judicial microscope.

A three-judge panel pressed a Justice Department lawyer during a hearing Sept. 30 about whether U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had disregarded a framework Congress adopted decades ago to address concerns about forced-labor practices around the world harming U.S. economic interests and also whether the trade agency presented detailed enough justifications to subject dozens of countries to the levies.

Source: “Trump forced-labor tariffs face skeptical trade court,” Oct. 1, 2026. https://www.ttnews.com/

High gas prices are spurring states to waive taxes and regulations amid midterm election

State officials nationwide are focusing on rising gas and diesel prices tied to the war in Iran, offering gas tax holidays and other measures to ease costs as affordability remains a top voter concern in the critical midterm elections.

The high gas prices took center stage in Ohio on Wednesday, as lawmakers passed a 90-day state gas tax holiday with broad bipartisan support. Including Ohio, about one-third of U.S. states have implemented some form of fuel tax relief, with many taking action within the past week, according to an Associated Press review.

Source: “High gas prices are spurring states to waive taxes and regulations amid midterm election,” Oct. 1, 2026. https://www.thetrucker.com/

FMCSA issues fuel transport waiver as diesel supplies tighten

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has waived hours-of-service requirements for interstate gasoline and diesel haulers through Dec. 16 as fuel suppliers and agricultural harvesters contend with supply disruptions and higher demand forecasts. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs issued the waiver Sept. 16, and it took effect that day.

The waiver came in response to “global supply disruptions, anticipated increases in the demand for gasoline and diesel fuels in the late summer and fall, and to mitigate impacts on the costs and availability of fuel for transportation service providers, agricultural harvesting and the traveling public as the demand increases,” FMCSA noted.

Source: “FMCSA issues fuel transport waiver as diesel supplies tighten,” Sept. 30, 2026. https://www.ttnews.com/