Truck Permits Florida

If you own a trucking company in the state of Florida, you know that the Federal government and the Sunshine State have many regulations you must follow. Simplex Group has helped new trucking companies obtain all the permits they need to operate for over 20 years. When you hire us, we consider ourselves your partner and are committed to your success. 

A few permits are required of any company that operates a commercial vehicle in The Sunshine State. If your truck crosses state lines, exceeds certain weight limits, or is used for certain purposes, you will be subject to the United States Department of Transportation regulations. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) is the agency within the DOT that regulates the trucking industry.

Trucks that have the following characteristics must abide by the rules of the Department of Transportation, and must be issued a DOT number: 

• Used to transport hazardous materials in a quantity that requires a safety permit. 
• Has either a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, whichever is heavier.  
• Used to transport more than eight passengers for money or used to transport more than 15 passengers but not for money. The driver is included in the passenger count. 

The FMCSA has a safety planner that will guide you through the process of getting a DOT number. Florida requires that all a trucking company’s vehicles have DOT numbers, even if they are only used for intrastate travel.

The trucking industry in Florida is also regulated by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department, which is responsible for both interstate and intrastate trucking in Florida.

There are a couple of permits the U.S. government requires of all truck drivers.

The International Registration Plan is a reciprocity agreement between the United States and Canada. Established in the early 1970s, it makes paying permit fees to various states easier than it was before.

It used to be that a truck traveling through multiple states had to get a separate permit through each state. They had to write a separate check to each state on a quarterly basis. Each state issued these permits through a port of entry station. This made things difficult and time-consuming for the states.

These days a trucking company registers with its own state’s IRP office and pays an amount based on the fees of the state it travels through. The IRP office distributes the funds to the various states.

When you join the IRP, you will get a special license plate. The plate will list the states you are authorized to operate your truck.

Any apportionable vehicles that operate in more than one state or province are required to have an IRP. An apportionable vehicle is one used to transport property or people in two or more jurisdictions within the United States or Canada. The vehicle must have two axles and a gross vehicle weight of over 26,000 pounds or simply have three axles.

Almost every state has its own registration office. You register and pay your fees in your home state’s office, and they disperse the funds you have paid to the individual states through which you have driven. 

There are certain exceptions to this rule. You will not have to get an IRP license for the following vehicles:

• City pickup, and delivery vehicles. 
• Recreational vehicles
• Government-owned vehicles
• Vehicles with restricted plates and chartered buses.

If a truck is not registered through the IRP, it can still travel through Florida if it has an individual trip permit. A Florida IRP trip permit must be issued to any commercial vehicles that operate in Florida and have a non-IRP registration issued in a state other than Florida.

You can buy these trip permits through various wire services.  The wire service is likely to charge you a fee as well, and the permit must be issued before you enter Florida. Out-of-state carriers must get a trip permit before entering the State of Florida, which must be displayed prominently.

Florida plays host to plenty of trucks every year, and it capitalizes on all of them. If an independent owner/operator comes through Florida looking for work in an empty truck, they must obtain a Hunter’s permit. 

When a commercial truck travels through a state other than its home state, it will have to pay fuel taxes. The International Fuel Tax Agreement License is similar to the IRP in that it allows a trucking company to pay what it owes to several states with one single payment.

A trucking company will register its truck with the IFTA office in its home state. When it travels through any state other than its own, it will record its fuel purchases and miles traveled. The state will charge a certain tax on the trip. Instead of making multiple payments to multiple states, the trucking company will make one payment to its own state’s IFTA office each quarter. The IFTA office will disburse the fuel tax money owed to each state.

If you are not registered with the IFTA in your state, and you wish to carry a load through Florida, you will need to obtain a temporary fuel-use permit from the state. As with temporary trip permits, you must purchase them in advance, and they must be displayed on the truck the entire time you are in the state of Florida. 

Simplex Group is familiar with every permit required of truckers in each state. We have been partnering with new trucking companies for 20 years and know the industry well. We want your trucking company to be successful. The first step to a trucking company’s success is to be fully compliant with all government regulations. We will ensure that all your paperwork is taken care of so you can concentrate on making your business a success.