Comments Requested on Increase In Liability Insurance Minimum

Last month the FMCSA seemed ready to release an NPRM to raise the current amount of liability insurance carriers are required to maintain.

The current regulatory minimum for commercial motor vehicles carrying property is $750,000 per occurrence although most carriers maintain $1,000,000 in coverage. Although the minimum has not been changed in decades and the cost of catastrophic loss has escalated, determining a new amount requires a cost benefit analysis including an examination of the effect of resulting increased premiums on small carriers (ATA and OOIDA contend that just 1%  of all truck related crashes exceed the current minimum).

CVSA asks FMCSA to pull CSA scores from public view - CCJ

Even CVSA, which includes the State Enforcement Officials now agrees SMS is not fit to publish.  See http://www.ccjdigital.com/cvsa-asks-fmcsa-to-pull-csa-scores-from-public-view/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=11-24-2014&utm_campaign=CCJ&ust_id=34d52e4283&

Rates & Lanes with Rico Muhammad with Special Guest, Henry Seaton

11/20/14 - 7PM EST - Tune in! Call in to speak with the host (347) 677-1799

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rates/2014/11/20/rates-and-lanes-with-rico-muhammad-and-special-guest-henry-seaton

Electronic Filing Required For Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Return When Reporting More Than 25 Vehicles

11/10/2014 - UPDATE
In a final regulation published two days after the effective date of the regulation we reported on below, the Internal Revenue Service has rescinded the requirement that anyone paying the federal heavy vehicle use tax for more than 24 vehicles must file and pay electronically.  That rule has been in place since 2011.

IRS stated in the introduction to the amended regulation that the change was made to reduce the burden on small businesses.  In the future, IRS will accept paper filings of the HVUT Form 2290 for fleets of any size.

We are sorry for any confusion!  Please call with any questions you may have.

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10/31/2014
Final regulations have been issued by the Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service requiring the electronic filing of Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return.  Those regulations in part provide that effective October 29, submission of a paper Form 2290 for 25 or more vehicles constitutes a failure to file for purpose of the Section 6651 penalty.  The tax form for fewer than 25 vehicles may still be filed by paper, but the IRS is moving toward electronic submission of all returns.

Bob Rothstein
 

New Washington D.C. Commercial Vehicle Loading Permits

For any motor carriers that regularly make deliveries or will be delivering goods in Washington, D.C. please note that Washington's new curbside loading zone program starts on January 1, 2015. This program requires commercial vehicles to obtain an annual or daily permit to park in a curbside loading zone.

Carriers can begin acquiring permits on November 3, 2014.  

Daily permits can be purchased online and are $25.00 per vehicle per day.

Annual permits are $323 per vehicle and a $50.00 annual fee for the company

The permit allows the vehicle to park for 2 hours in a loading zone.  The permit must be displayed on the vehicle's windshield.

As anyone knows who spends or has spent time in Washington D.C. they are very aggressive on parking enforcement. Make arrangements to be in compliance or you can expect parking fines.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey Cox, Esq.
703-573-0700