Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 7, 2026:
- Higher registration fees in 2027? FMCSA considering hike.
- Rural New Mexico inspection blitz puts trucks, drivers OOS.
- Two recalls hit a few hundred Volvo trucks.
FMCSA proposes UCR fee increase for 2027 as 2026 remains unchanged
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing to adopt a recommended registration fee increase from the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Board of Directors for the 2027 registration year.
In a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register Tuesday, FMCSA said the UCR Board did not recommend any change in fees for the 2026 registration year, therefore the fees remained the same as the 2025 registration year. Yet for 2027 and subsequent years, the UCR Board recommended a fee increase averaging 20%, with hikes between $9 and $9,329 per entity, depending on fleet size.
Even after the proposed increase, FMCSA noted, fees for 2027 would still be less than those in effect during registration years 2019 through 2022. UCR fees decreased between 2020 and 2024 before increasing by 25% for registration year 2025.
UCR fees from recent years and the proposed increase:
FMCSA is accepting public comments on the proposed increase here through May 7.
The purpose of the 2027 fee increase is to cover a projected $21.79 million shortfall in the statutorily required funding, FMCSA said. The projected shortfall is based on calculations showing that in 2027, the costs of making the required distributions to the states and administering the UCR Plan will exceed the revenues expected at the current fee levels.
In past years, including 2023 and 2024, these fees were decreased because of prior excess collections, unusually large fluctuations in registrant numbers, and changes in underlying economic conditions. As required by statute, the excess collections were returned to the industry, as the annual fees were reduced to account for the overcollection.
The UCR follows a two-year cycle when making fee recommendations, meaning that the collections for the 2025 registration year are used to calculate fees for the 2027 registration year, and collections for the 2026 registration year will be used to calculate fees for the 2028 registration year, and so on.
A three-month pre-registration window opens on Oct. 1 of the year prior to the registration year, and fees are due on Jan. 1 of the registration year but continue to be collected throughout the year. There is an audit and dispute resolution period in the calendar year following the registration year.
[Related: How to get your own authority: Basics of filing, insurance, and common mistakes]
New Mexico blitz sidelines 59 trucks, 32 drivers
A week-long inspection blitz in Clayton, New Mexico, near the Texas and Oklahoma borders resulted in 59 vehicles and 32 drivers being taken out of service.
From March 29 through April 3, New Mexico State Police’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau (CVE) and Criminal Enforcement Bureau (K9) units conducted a focused truck enforcement operation in Clayton. Strike Team officers, K9 officers, and transportation inspectors worked together to perform saturation patrols and establish temporary inspection sites on rural state roads throughout the Clayton area, NMSP said.
Operation results:
- Total commercial vehicle safety inspections: 698
- Vehicles out of service: 59
- Drivers out of service: 32
- Cargo checks: 175
- Moving violation citations: 286
- Equipment violation citations: 10
- Total CMV Citations: 301
- Transportation enforcement inspections: 285
- Overweight violations: 2
- Portable weighs conducted: 112
Volvo VNLs recalled for instrument panel, service brake issues
Two separate recalls have been announced affecting model year 2025-’26 Volvo VNL trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
One recall affects approximately 222 units in which the service brake may take longer than expected to release. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 121, "Air Brake Systems."
Dealers will install an additional brake valve and fittings to the service brake pneumatic plumbing, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 22. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks' customer service at 800-528-6586. NHTSA’s recall number 26V-186.
A separate recall affects approximately 115 VNLs in which the instrument panel may fail while driving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash, the recall noted.
Dealers will replace the instrument panel clusters, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed May 24, 2026. Owners may contact Volvo Trucks' customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2603. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-184.
