Apportioned Plate Question

our tractors are IN tagged

our trailers are ME tagged.

we haul dedicated for one customer,. out of MA....

i think ME is cheaper to get tags for the trailers, like maybe once every few years, rather than yearly?

i dunno, as a company driver, concerns me not.

 

Those plates are still part of the IRP plan. Every state except Hawaii and Alaska participate in the International Registration Plan. Look closer at those plates, they should say "apportioned" or "IRP" on them somewhere. Florida is the only state I know of that color codes their IRP plates, although Oregon has a "trusted carrier" red plate that speeds up the port of entry process.

For hire or private fleet (not-for-hire) makes no difference in the need for IRP plates. The only way a carrier can legally use just their home state base plate that is not apportioned is to either have a temporary trip permit, or have a vehicle that does not qualify for an apportioned plate because is is under the gross weight or axle requirements. These vehicles would also not have IFTA decals on them, as they would also not require registration under the fuel tax program.

If you look even closer at the Indiana plates you will notice many of them even have the trucking company logo on them. Indiana issues custom logo plates to fleets that request them. You will notice many Indiana, Oklahoma, Maine, and Oregon base plates since those states have very favorable personal property tax rules and income rules that benefit fleet owners to register their trucks there. Example, Penske Truck Leasing's world headquarters is in Reading, Pennsylvania but most of their trucks display Indiana apportioned base plates, except for the long term leased ones, they may have the state they are operating in most often for a base plate. Same for Ryder, company headquarters is Miami, Florida but they base plate most of their rental fleet in Indiana.

 

Class 8 tractors owned by Farmers are exempt from it. Many farmers around here just have a Jeresy X tag with “farmer” written on the bottom where “apportioned” would be on our tags. They have ifta stickers and do in fact cross state lines. The Nursery i’ve done business with runs his own trucks as far south as Tennessee.

 

That is correct because a "farm" plate is a restricted plate and can't be used for general freight. Several other classes of restricted plates also are not eligible for IRP status such as dealer and transporter tags. In many states wrecker or tow truck plates also are not eligible for apportioned classification.

My answer is more of a generalization, as it applies to most interstate transportation of property. Passenger carriers may also be exempt from apportioned status under certain circumstances.

From the IRP website IRP FAQ: Registration - International Registration Plan, Inc.

1. Who is required to register under the IRP?


Apportionable vehicles must be registered under IRP.

The Plan defines an apportionable vehicle as: any vehicle that is used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions and that is used for the transportation of persons for hire or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, and:

(i) has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds (11,793.401 kilograms), or

(ii) has three or more axles, regardless of weight, or

(iii) is used in combination, when the gross vehicle weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds (11,793.401 kilograms).

Exceptions: Recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates, or government-owned vehicles.

Optional: Trucks or truck tractors, or combinations of vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds (11,793.401 kilograms), or less.

 

Gottcha. Good info man. You’re on point

 

Your "home" state can be anywhere you have an "established place of business". You don't necessarily have to live there. You do need IRP/Apportioned tags for the best bang for the buck. Technically though, you could pay the fuel tax via each state's permit that you travel through but it's considerably more.