USDOT Number: To keep a check on your Movers

The concept of DOT Number was put forward by the United States Department of Transportation and hence it is also abbreviated as USDOT Number. There were many issues regarding transportation in The US and USDOT Number was observed as a solution to those concerns. Through the establishment of USDOT, the transportation sector working in the US was raised to cabinet-level and got set up as a distinct department in the US cabinet. In this blog, we are going to talk about the USDOT, USDOT numbers, and their significance, and what is the journey of the USDOT till now.

Some back story of the USDOT

The USDOT or the cabinet Department of Transportation in the US was established in October 1966 and it started operating from April 1967 and onwards. Prior to that, there was a department of Under Secretary of Commerce for Transportation which used to administer the functions of the current USDOT. It was all due to the efforts of Najeeb Halaby, who was the administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency which was later renamed as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Although, the concept of setting up the The Federal Department of Transportation was very first put forward by US President Woodrow Wilson in 1921.

Whom Shall get a DOT Number

This is a primary concern of a majority of interstate travelers, whether they should register for the USDOT number or not. There are several vehicles categories that are qualified to file for the USDOT number and should register to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Firstly, all those vehicles that carry hazardous materials and need an Intrastate Commerce Safety Permits are required to register. Then those vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight of at least 10,000 lbs. and more, or those vehicles that travel interstate with a minimum of eight passengers, including the driver, for remuneration, or those interstate travelers that carry at least fifteen passengers along, including the driver, for noncommercial purposes are required to apply for the USDOT number. And at last, those vehicles that are required to travel for commercial purposes; betwixt a location inside or out of a state, or betwixt two different states of the US or from one of the US states to out of the US, or those travelers that have to travel interstate for commercial purposes that originated outside the US are required to apply for the USDOT number. Though I have provided here all the essential requirements of vehicles and commerce to apply for the USDOT Number, still you could find more regarding this at the site of Global Multi Services as they are skilled in providing the USDOT numbers and will also give you more thorough information on the USDOT and other permits that are required to trucking companies to do trade in the US and Canada.

Why USDOT Numbers are Essential

Now this one is another widely asked query, that why trucking companies, fleet owners, and movers are required to apply for the USDOT number. The answer is simple, USDOT numbers are not that functional to the truckers or other service providers as it is to those who are taking their services. Suppose you have hired a mover to transport some goods, with the help of their USDOT number you could check the legitimacy of your mover company at the site of the FMCSA. And not just that, you could check the complete history of a shipping company like how many CMVs they own, did they ever get into any road accident, the fatality, and injury rate of people of the road accident that was involved in. And as many sketchy companies generate fake USDOT numbers, you can also check the company’s profile at the site of FMCSA by searching by their name, or address and contact, or status carrier ID number.

To scrutinize more about the fact regarding USDOT you cloud go to the FMCSA site, but the data there is not that much detailed, so as a personal suggestion, I would suggest you come to Global Multi Services for all the information regarding the USDOT and all the other Trucking permits.

IFTA Permits, A Solution to Interstate Fuel Tax Filing

 

The concept of IFTA, also known as the International Fuel Tax Agreement, was put forward and established in 1983. It emerged as a solution to the hassle of filing fuel taxes in different states that the commercial vehicle owners used to drive through. After the introduction of the IFTA Program, which was signed between the 48 states of the US and all the 10 provinces of Canada, the commercial vehicle drivers or the truckers just have to file for taxes quarterly and that too not in every state that travels through but just in their base jurisdiction, I mean the state or province in which they have applied for the IFTA Permit. In this blog, I am going to talk about the topics of IFTA that people are usually skeptical of.

Whom Shall File for IFTA?

This is a topic that most people are seeking the answer for, that who must have to file for IFTA Permits? There is a wide misconception among the majority that only those truckers that travel within different states must file for the IFTA, this is not the case. All those vehicles that travel interstate and have commercial vehicles with three or more than three axles or have the gross vehicle or registered gross vehicles weight of more than 26000 lbs. i.e., 11793 kg, or the owner of those commercial vehicles that have two axles and gross vehicle weight of more than 26000 lbs. must file for the IFTA Permits or should get into the IFTA Program. And those that fulfill the above-mentioned requirements and have filed for the IFTA Permit are entitled to get a pair of IFTA Decal for their vehicle or each of their vehicle, in case they own more than one vehicle. And In case you have not registered in your state for an IFTA permit but traveling among different states for commercial purposes, you could also apply for a Temporary IFTA Permit in the state that you are traveling in. 

How the IFTA System Works?

You got all the rights to know and scrutinize the working of the IFTA system. But just to save your time, I have already done all the scrutiny for IFTA and will try to make you understand the same in the simplest terms. In the times before the establishment of the IFTA, every state had its own self-made Fuel Tax structures, and the truckers maneuvering through these states have had to apply for permits in each of the states that they travel through. Plus, the truckers traveling interstate used to get something called ‘bingo plates’ on which the state permits of each state were used to be fixed. All this was a nuisance for the truckers. Since the development of the IFTA system, the interstate commercial travelers that are eligible for the IFTA and even possess the IFTA permits, must pay the fuel taxes of the states that they travel through, and these fuel taxes are credited back to the travelers’ or IFTA licensee’s account. Then on a fiscal quarter basis, the IFTA permit holders have to give a record of their travel details, fuel consumption, and mileage given by their vehicle while traveling through other states, to their base state or the state in which they have registered for the IFTA. Then their base state, according to its fee structure for the IFTA taxes, assigns tax returns to states that the IFTA licensees of their state traveled through.