Stay Legal, Stay Moving
Compliance isn’t optional. Every item on this page is something the FMCSA, state agencies, or the IRS can fine, penalize, or shut you down over. Know it cold.
IFTA — International Fuel Tax Agreement
Required for any vehicle over 26,000 lbs GVWR operating in more than one state. You register in your base state and file quarterly returns tracking miles driven AND fuel purchased in each state.
Quarterly deadlines: January 31, April 30, July 31, October 31. Miss one and you face late fees plus interest.
Common mistakes: Not logging fuel purchases by state, missing receipts, relying on memory instead of records. Your ELD logs mileage per state automatically — use it. Fuel still has to be logged manually at every stop.
ELD — Electronic Logging Device
Federal ELD mandate requires most commercial drivers to use a certified device. Paper logs are only allowed in very limited exceptions. Your ELD must be registered with the FMCSA and meet technical specifications.
Hours of Service (HOS) rules:
- 11-hour driving limit within a 14-hour on-duty window
- 30-minute break required after 8 hours of driving
- 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day weekly limit
- 34-hour restart provision
HOS violations at roadside inspections earn CSA points and can put you out of service. Know your logbook — your ELD doesn’t think for you.
CSA Scores
Compliance, Safety, Accountability — the FMCSA’s scoring system for carriers. Roadside inspection violations, crashes, and other safety events go into your CSA score. High scores attract more inspections and can make it hard to work with major brokers and shippers who screen carriers by CSA. Check your score at FMCSA SAFER.
FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse
All CDL drivers and their employers must be registered. Required testing: pre-employment, random (minimum 50% of drivers annually for controlled substances), post-accident, reasonable suspicion. If you run your own authority, you must join a third-party consortium for random testing. Violations are permanent and follow you to every employer.
UCR — Unified Carrier Registration
Annual registration required for all for-hire carriers. Cost: $176/year for 1 truck. Due each year. Register at ucr.gov. Operating without current UCR registration = fine at roadside.
IRP — International Registration Plan
Apportioned plates for trucks operating in multiple states. You register in your base state and pay fees based on the percentage of miles run in each state. Required if you cross state lines.
Form 2290 — Heavy Vehicle Use Tax
Federal tax on vehicles over 55,000 lbs. Due August 31 each year. Cost: $550/year for a 55,000 lb truck, scaling up from there. File with the IRS. You’ll need your stamped 2290 Schedule 1 to register plates in most states.
State-Specific Fees
Several states charge additional mileage or weight-based fees: Connecticut, New York (HUT), Oregon (Weight-Mile Tax), New Mexico (WDT), Kentucky. Research every state on your regular lanes before you run them.