If you own a trucking company in Texas or your trucks simply drive through the Lone Star State, you will need several permits to operate legally. Knowing precisely which permits you will need and when you need them can be confusing and time-consuming. Permits are also quite expensive.
Simplex Group knows that full compliance with the Department of Transportation and compliance with all state laws is critical to the success of any trucking company. We have been in the trucking business for 20 years, and we know what trip permits you will need for carrying cargo through Texas and other states.
What a Truck Needs to Enter Texas
A truck weighing over 26,000 pounds that is used for business is considered a commercial truck in the state of Texas. Such a truck falls under the authority of the Department of Public Safety.
Vehicles that exceed a registered gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or greater or those that carry more than nine passengers are under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Transportation. They will need a DOT number to operate on US Highways. The agency within DOT that regulates the trucking industry is called the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA). You will need to register your trucks with the FMCSA’s Unified Carrier Registration System to get your DOT number.
Simplex Group can help guide you through the registration process. We will make sure that you have every permit you need to operate in every state through which you travel. Texas requires that commercial trucks have several permits and licenses.
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Number
Companies that operate commercial trucks within the state of Texas must register with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Motor Carrier Division. They will issue you a TxDMV identity number that you must display on your truck.
International Registration Plan Permit
The International Registration Plan allows companies that operate commercial vehicles to use a single registration plate when they travel from state to state. The registration plate is issued to trucking companies from the IRP office in their home state.
If you are a company that operates in two states or more, the IRP will save you money. A vehicle that is registered in this convenient plan will give you prorated fees that are based on how far your trucks travel in any one jurisdiction.
For example, if your truck spends 50% of its travel time riding through Texas, 25% of its time in New Mexico, and 25% of the time in Arizona, you would pay 50% of the registration fee to Texas, and 25% each to New Mexico and Arizona. Those fees are dispersed by the IRP office in the trucking company’s home state.
Simplex Group will make sure that your IRP payments are always made on time. We will make sure that your permit is up to date as well.
International Fuel Tax Agreement License
When you own a trucking company, it will cost you to cross state lines. In order to drive a truck through Texas, you will have to get an International Fuel Tax Agreement License. You can also get individual fuel trip permits. When a truck travels through a state, the truck’s owner is expected to pay fuel tax.
Before the IFTA was established, all the different states had separate systems for collecting taxes. A trucking company would have to obtain a trip permit for each individual state. Every state had an individual port of entry, and the port’s job was to issue these stickers. This was time-consuming and not very efficient.
An IFTA license makes it easier to pay fuel tax. It consolidates the fuel tax payments from all the different states into one payment. It is an agreement between the lower 48 states and Canada. Alaska and Hawaii are not legally obligated to participate, but Alaska participates anyway.
When you participate in this program, your company will be issued a license and two decals for each participating truck. You will be expected to file a tax report each quarter. Your payment or refund will be determined by this report, and you are allowed to pay with a check or money order. You will file the report with your local office of the IFTA and they will distribute the funds to the states you have driven through.
You will need to obtain this permit for trucks that meet the following criteria:
- The vehicle has a power unit that has three or more axles
- The vehicle has a power unit that has two axles as well as a registered gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or more.
- The vehicle Is used in combination with a trailer, and the gross weight of that combination is over 26,000 pounds.
Simplex Group will ensure that all your permits are up to date and that your necessary tax reports are filed on time. We have been in the trucking business for over 20 years and understand the importance of keeping up to date on your paperwork.
If a trucking company does not keep its paperwork up to date and pay its taxes on time, it can result in fines and audits from the FMCSA. If you are a new trucking company, lapsed paperwork can cause you to fail your new entrant audit.
Simplex Group knows that you have to concentrate on running your company. When we partner with a trucking company, we are committed to its success. We will take care of all your compliance needs so you can focus on attracting new clients, hiring drivers, and ensuring your cargo gets where it is going on time.
In addition to making sure all of your permits are up to date, we will make sure that your driver’s records are current and that their operating time is recorded properly. We will also make sure that the inspections of your trucks and escort vehicles are reported on time and correctly. Give us a call today.