Every truck at 55,000 pounds or more owes the heavy vehicle use tax by August 31. What Form 2290 costs, who has to file, and why your plates depend on the stamped Schedule 1.

A DOT compliance company files the paperwork and tracks your deadlines. TIPS does nearly all of it in one place, for less than the other guys.

The rollout has caused login lockouts, failed DOT number linking, identity verification errors, and insurance and authority status that shows wrong.

The Connecticut Highway Use Fee is a mileage-based tax on heavy commercial trucks. It started on January 1, 2023, and is run by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. The state charges it for the privilege of running certain large trucks on its public roads.

If you run trucks into or through Oregon, you will not pay the state's diesel fuel tax the way you do almost everywhere else. Oregon handles heavy trucks differently. It charges them a tax based on how much they weigh and how many miles they drive on Oregon roads. This is the Oregon weight-mile tax, and setting it up correctly is one of the first things a carrier needs to handle before running a load in the state.

The New Mexico weight distance tax (WDT) is a road-use tax on heavy commercial trucks. New Mexico charges it based on two things: how much your vehicle weighs and how many miles you drive on New Mexico roads. The heavier the truck and the more miles you run in the state, the more you owe.

If you run a heavy truck through Kentucky, the state charges a tax that has nothing to do with IFTA, IRP, or your USDOT number itself. To pay it, you need a KYU number. A lot of carriers find out about it after a fine at a Kentucky weigh station.

If you’re operating in or through New York with a Gross Weight of 18,001lbs or more, the NY HUT is a critical compliance requirement you don’t want to miss.

Missing motor vehicle records are the most cited driver qualification file violation in FMCSA audits. More than 6,400 violations have been written in the past five years. If you hire commercial drivers, MVR and CDLIS reports are not optional. TIPS pulls both in 1-2 business days.

If your trucks cross state lines, or you work with interstate cargo you most likely need UCR. It's a federal registration that most interstate carriers have to complete every year. Brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies need it too. If you skip it, you can get fined or pulled out of service at a weigh station.

If you have a CDL and drive a commercial vehicle, you need a drug and alcohol testing program. It does not matter if you drive across state lines or stay local. It does not matter if you haul for someone else or for your own company. The rules in 49 CFR Part 382 cover every CDL driver, and all 50 states have adopted them.

The trucking regulations that apply to your business depend on whether you haul for others or yourself, whether you cross state lines, and how much your vehicle weighs.

Use the free Compliance Calculator from Total Insight Professional Services (TIPS) to find out what applies to your specific operation in minutes.

A certificate of authority is the official FMCSA document that proves your company has active operating authority (MC number) to haul freight for pay across state lines. If you need yours fast, TIPS can get your certificate of authority to you quickly so you can start booking loads right away.

This guide covers what a SCAC is, who needs one, how to apply, what it costs, and what changed in 2026. At TIPS, we handle SCAC applications so you can skip the paperwork and get your code fast.

If you drive a CMV, you need to know these hours of service regulations. Breaking them can lead to fines, out-of-service orders, and damage to your CSA score. This guide covers every major HOS rule, who they apply to, the exemptions, and what happens when you violate them.

This article covers how IFTA works, how to get your IFTA stickers and license, how to file IFTA fuel tax returns each quarter, what it costs, and how to calculate your taxable miles.

If you drive a truck across state lines, you need IRP registration and a cab card. These are not optional. Without them, you risk fines, violations, and trucks sitting idle.

This article covers what IRP is in trucking, what a cab card (sometimes called a cabcard) is, who needs one, and how to file your IRP application.

DOT officers expect to see specific documents in your vehicle, and missing even one can mean fines, out-of-service orders, or points on your CSA score.

This guide covers every document you need to keep in your truck, who needs what, and how to stay organized so you're not scrambling at the scale house.

This article breaks down how to get a DOT number and every fee you'll face when applying for a USDOT number, MC authority, and the other registrations most new carriers need.

Many drivers think that if they don't need a CDL, they don't have to follow DOT rules. That's not true. The DOT regulates commercial vehicles based on weight, cargo, and how they're used. Your license type is separate from your compliance requirements.