If you need assistance with apportioned plates, IRP, IFTA, or any other form of DOT compliance for your El Paso trucking business, Border Trucking Compliance is here to help. Contact us online or call (915) 838-1080 to learn more about our services.

What are Apportioned Plates? 

Apportioned plates simply refers to the type of plates you get when you register your vehicle. You have the option of choosing apportioned plates, commercial plates, or combination plates during registration. We’ll go into more detail later about how to choose the right type of plates, but there are certain requirements you’ll need to meet if you want to register for apportioned plates. You can only get apportioned plates if you register under an IRP. 

What Does IRP Mean? 

IRP stands for International Registration Plan and is a type of plan you sign up for if you have a truck that travels internationally or exceeds a certain weight limit. The IRP is an agreement between all the states in the US as well as all the provinces in Canada. 

The goal of IRP is to come up with a fee repayment plan to compensate each state for managing and repairing highway damage caused by trucks. Each state and province has it’s own fees, which means that you’re annual totals will vary depending on where you travel. 

If you register under the IRP, you’ll be granted apportioned plates for all of the trucks in your trucking company. This will ensure that you’re compliant with international and statewide trucking regulations. 

What Does IFTA Mean? 

IFTA stands for International Fuel Tax Agreement and is applicable to all commercial trucking companies traveling throughout the country. In the same way that the IRP is set up to compensate states and provinces based on where you travel, the IFTA is designed to compensate states based on the number of miles your trucks travel within the state. 

Despite its name, the IFTA doesn’t enforce fees based on where you purchased your fuel. It also doesn’t include all of the states and provinces in North America, as Canada and Oregon are exempt from taking part in the agreement. 

Should I Register Under IRP or IFTA? 

While IRP and IFTA may sound similar, they are in no way connected and are two separate entities. However, because of how similar they are, if you register for one, you’ll likely have to register for the other. Registration for both entities depends on where you do most of your transporting and how heavy the loads are that you transport. 

You must register with IRP if you meet the following requirements. 

• Travel across state or provincial borders. 
• Haul loads weighing more than 10,000 pounds. 

You’ll have to register for IFTA if you meet the following requirements. 

• Your transporting vehicle has at least 2 axles and a GVWR or GVW of more than 26,000 pounds. 
• Your transporting vehicle has three or more axles. 
• Your transporting vehicle transports more than 26,000 pounds and gets used in combination. 

Contact us to find out who you should register your trucking company with. 

Who to Contact If You Need Help Registering Your Vehicle

It’s important to know if you need to register with the IRP and IFTA, as well as if you need apportioned plates. If you make a registration mistake, you could be subject to hefty fines and potentially lose your company. Therefore, rather than trying to go it alone and risk making a mistake, let the professionals at Border Trucking Compliance. We’ll let you know what type of registration plates you need, as well as which entities you should register with. Contact us online or call (915) 838-1080 today!

If you’re unprepared for the audit or don’t have your ducks in a row, you and your company could face the consequences. Therefore, the best way to prepare for a DOT audit is with DOT audit consulting from the pros at Border Trucking Compliance. Contact us online or call (915) 838-1080 today!

What is a DOT Audit, and What is Their Purpose? 

A DOT audit reviews your company’s safety standards and records. The Department of Transportation performs its audit to ensure that you’re complying with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The audit’s goal is to ensure the safety of your truckers and the passengers with whom they share the roads. 

While you have a higher risk of getting audited if you violate the DOT’s Safety Management System, everyone gets audited at some point. Most DOT audits are generally done in person, but they can also be performed over the phone, the internet, or via fax. 

What to Expect During a DOT Audit 

Regardless of how or when your DOT audit takes place, preparing with DOT audit consulting is essential. In most cases, you’ll have between 45 and 60 days to submit your plan and records for the audit, which means that time is of the essence. 

Most DOT audits consist of six categories, each of which you’ll have to prepare for. 

Category 1: General 

The General portion of the audit consists of proving that you have all the documentation necessary to be a trucking company. This includes insurance, permits, licensing, accident reports, and more. Contact us for DOT audit consulting for a complete list of documents you should have prepared. 

Category 2: Driver 

As the name of this section implies, it will focus squarely on the El Paso drivers in your employ. It will look at their driving records, licenses, and drug tests showing that they aren’t abusing drugs or alcohol. 

Category 3: Operational 

The operational section is fairly broad and can cover many things. In general, however, a significant area of focus is the number of hours your truckers are working. It will also look for violations in the Forms of Manner, Hours of Service, and False Information. 

Category 4: Vehicle 

This section of the audit will check in on how well-maintained and safe your vehicles are. You are required to submit service and repair records as well as records of maintenance and additional information. Contact us for a complete list and additional DOT audit consulting. 

Category 5: Hazardous Materials 

If you can’t provide proof that you and your drivers have completed a hazardous materials transportation course, you will violate this section. 

Category 6: Accidents

It’s vital that you keep a complete list of accidents and driving violations for each of your drivers. You must also provide clear, accurate documentation proving that your drivers aren’t violating their hourly limits. This section also includes documentation regarding any injuries your drivers have sustained in the course of their work. 

While these six categories form the basis of DOT audits, much more goes into them. It’s important to have a complete list of documents and records prepared. 

Who to Contact in El Paso for Premium DOT Audit Consulting? 

While you can prevent frequent audits, the DOT will come for everyone at one point or another. Therefore, your best course of action is to be prepared and seek DOT audit consulting from Border Trucking Compliance. We’re always on your side and will ensure you have everything you need to pass your audit with flying colors. Contact us online or call (915) 838-1080 today!

If you live in the border region, you know that the traffic between Mexico and the United States is a considerable part of the everyday economy of El Paso. It’s why many people refer to the region as a Borderplex because it often encompasses the economy of Juarez and even Las Cruces.  People commute from Juarez to El Paso for school, work, shopping, entertainment, travel, and more. Six border crossings in the El Paso region allow cross-border movement of private vehicles, pedestrians, buses, commercial trucks, or rail cars. These include the Ysleta-Zaragoza Bridge, Bridge of the Americas, Good Neighbor Bridge, Paso del Norte Bridge, Union Pacific Rail Bridge, and BNSF’s rail bridge, which connects the railroad in the U.S to Ferromex Railroad.  

When goods are imported to the United States or exported, there is a system in place and vehicles must meet certain compliance regulations. Here at Border Trucking Compliance, we specialize in helping companies comply with the rules required for bringing or taking goods across the border. 

The Creation of the Department of Transportation 

For people that work in the industry: whether it be construction, compliance, or other contractors, the Department of Transportation (DOT) might just be a name they see around highway construction sites. The history of this government agency took place during a turbulent time in the country, where the expansion of infrastructure was a legislative priority.  

Before DOT, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Transportation administered the functions that most people now associate with DOT. The head of the Federal Aviation Agency pushed for the idea that transportation be elevated to a cabinet-level post and that an agency is created at the federal level. With one signature, President Lyndon Johnson created what was—at the time—the fourth-largest federal agency in 1966 and brought about 95,000 employees. It also consolidated the power of what was previously 31 smaller federal elements. 

Its first day of operation was April 1st, 1967. The purpose was, to some extent, to centralize some decisions of the national transportation system. It was meant to create, develop, and coordinate policies to provide an efficient and economical response to questions regarding the national transportation system. DOT’s mission statement states that it wants to “ensure our Nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world, which improves the quality of life for all American people and communities.” 

The agency sets all regulations and planning and supports the nation’s land, air, and sea-based travel systems. The department also has billions of dollars in federal grants each year that go to state and local authorities to improve transportation programs or infrastructure across the country. 

Doing Business With Our Southern Neighbor

El Paso is a major border region. A lot of traffic happens between the six international bridges that form part of the national border. Here are a few fun facts:

According to the U.S Bureau of Transportation in 2017,  the top 5 exports to Mexico were:

• Electrical machinery, equipment, and parts (9.2$billion)
• Computers related machinery ($5.8billion)
• Plastics and articles (2.4$billion)
• Measuring and testing instruments ($1.7billion)
• Vehicles other than railway ($1 billion)

The same year, imports into the United States included:

• Electrical machinery, equipment, and parts ($11.3 billion)
• Computers related machinery ($11billion)
• Vehicles other than Railway ($8billion)
• Measuring and testing instruments ($3.8billion)
• Furniture; lamps and prefab buildings ($2.1billion)

We have a lot of commerce back and forth with our Southern neighbors and a lot of it travels by trucking or by rail. In 2017, the total U.S Mexico trade was valued at $557 billion. Of that total amount, about $336 billion crossed the U.S Mexico border. The top commodity that crossed the El Paso border was electrical machinery, equipment, and parts. Crossings by trucking have increased by 40% since 1996. That is a steady increase, especially after NAFTA was signed. 

Things to Note Before Shipping Goods to Mexico

Since the institution of NAFTA, trade between our Southern and Northern neighbors has been a lot more straightforward and consistent. The USMCA continued some of these policies and the encouragement of cross-border trade.  More than $1.7 billion in goods cross the border from Mexico into the U.S.  More than 70% of that freight travels by truck. 

Find a company you trust to handle the paperwork. Crossing any border with goods usually requires a lot of documentation. Every business shipping from Mexico to the U.S., or vice-versa requires the assistance of some type of forwarding agency or compliance agency to help the process. 

About tracking your shipments. While technology and shipping companies have made great strides towards this effort, it’s not always easy to track your shipment the whole way. A lot of times, cross-border shipping requires multiple handovers between carriers. This makes constant tracking a little difficult.

When it comes to trucking compliance, get someone you trust. Don’t risk the hefty fines and hassle of neglecting the regulations. Call the Border Trucking Compliance today. 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage across the United States and the world, the commercial trucking industry is feeling the impact. Since the very beginning of the pandemic, drivers and fleet owners have felt the weight of the coronavirus pandemic. Depending on your place in the industry, you may be dealing with wide-range of differing issues. 

In our inaugural blog, Border Trucking Compliance will analyze how the coronavirus pandemic has affected trucking and how it may affect it in the future!

The Coronavirus Pandemic 

If you have been living on a remote island for the past few months, COVID-19 is a deadly, infectious strain of coronavirus. It is believed to have originated in China, where it quickly spread across the globe. At the time of this publication, the United States has become the epicenter of the virus, which certainly does not bode well for the trucking industry. 

The coronavirus is a respiratory disease, which is especially deadly for individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. While older individuals are typically considered to be most at risk, individuals of every age demographic have succumbed to the virus itself or complications related to the virus.

Recently, some experts have even posited that the coronavirus may be airborne as well, further complicating the response on an individual and systemic level.  This heightened level of awareness for the coronavirus has been changing life for truckers across the country, in small and big ways. 

How Truck Drivers Are Being Affected 

Truck drivers are feeling the brunt of this in various different ways. The first, and perhaps less thought about effect, was the availability of rest stops for truckers. In the rush to close down public spaces, some rest stops also closed for fear of becoming hubs for coronavirus spread. Unfortunately, this had an adverse effect on truckers. The American Trucking Association (ATA) has worked to reopen all rest stops for truckers. 

Another seemingly minor but important aspect of the issue is dining and lodging areas for truckers. These areas, like rest stops, shut down as the coronavirus began to sweep across the nation. These lodging and dining locations are vital for truckers to get nutrition and rest. Yet again, the ATA has been hard at work trying to help truckers secure lodging and housing, as well as provide a list of open places. 

In terms of moving cargo, this is where the majority of the impact has been felt. Since money is flowing less and less among everyday Americans, some items have dropped dramatically in volume. Some truckers have seen a 30% to 60% drop in cargo volume, with some unable to find work at all. This only exacerbates the recent calls by truck drivers for better pay and protections. 

While it would be comforting to know that truckers would recover after the virus, it seems as though economic factors may have as much an impact on the industry. As of this publication, the disconnect between the stock market and the material conditions of Americans continues to grow. As the market rallies, millions continue to lose their jobs, leading some to believe that a market crash is inevitable. The stock market crashing once more would only exacerbate trucker issues. 

COVID-19 & Fleet Companies

For trucking companies and fleets, the problems are somewhat different. Fleet managers have been and will continue to make tough decisions as the coronavirus pandemic wages on. Companies have had to lay off drivers and reduce their workload to account for the decrease in economic activity. 

Fleet companies are also dealing with the medical ramifications of the virus, with truck drivers across the states falling ill to the virus. This has had the effect of putting a strain on the insurance industry as well as the medical industry. 

Many fleet companies were struggling to stay afloat prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and the fear is that many of these struggling companies may fail, leading to even more dangerous ripples throughout the industry and economy. 

What You Can Do

If you are a truck driver in the United States, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself. 

First, you may want to stay up-to-date on CDC and WHO health recommendations. The recommendations from the CDC and WHO are crucial to giving day-to-day information related to the coronavirus. If you aren’t informed of the virus, then you may not take the proper precautions to stay healthy. 

For those who may own a trucking company, it may be prudent to try to take care of any debt that you may have accrued. You may need to also get rid of any unnecessary overhead that is possible, which may put you in an ideal financial position if the economy were to crash.