Getting to Zero - Why It's Important!

Unregistered Carriers on 5/22/2009 - 4080
Unregistered Carriers on 5/25/2009 - 4026
Yesterday's Registrations (IL system) - 22 / $1204 (avg $54)


Some people would argue (and have argued!) that going after every carrier in our respective states is "not our job". Our job, to paraphrase the discussion, is to register the carriers who walk in the door - and let the roadside officers in our state and the other states find and take enforcement action against all the "scofflaws". Two tasks - register the carriers who come in and bang the rest at the road.

I have mixed feelings about this argument. I think I understand all the rationale for this position - resources, time, etc. We never seem to have enough of those.

For the moment, however, I'm going to focus on a different issue - fairness to the carriers.

I think I can safely say that today, May 26th, there are legitimate carriers in my state with legitimate USDOT numbers who are registered as legitimate "active interstate carriers" who know nothing about UCR. Legitimately! Even after all the effort we're putting forth. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that every state has them.

So, why should their first encounter with UCR result in a ticket? Not only is that bad for business, but it begs the question of whose job it is!

"Getting to zero" says it's our job. If we contact them all, they can't plead ignorance. And, so far, many carriers have thanked us for contacting them because they, in fact, had never heard of the program and they don't WANT their first encounter with UCR to result in a ticket! Many of them register as soon as we contact them.

Everybody wins. That's what it's all about.