UCR is Creating A Stir In Illinois

Unregistered Carriers on 12/02/2009 - 1422
Unregistered Carriers on 12/04/2009 - 1412

Illinois - 93.39%
Maine - 93.26%

This morning, I went to an interesting meeting with a dozen or so agency representatives from IRP, Farm Plates, CDL, FMCSA, Illinois DOT and State Police (MCSAP). This meeting was in preparation for a meeting we're going to have next week with numerous representatives of the Illinois agricultural industry.

Several times in the meeting, people said that UCR was responsible for all the new FMCSA activity among the thousands of farmers in Illinois.

While I was flattered on behalf of the UCR program, I reminded them that we don't register farmers for UCR until we first establish the farmer's need to have a USDOT number - a requirement that's been on the books since the 1980's. I also reminded them that we are pursuing USDOT numbers for farmers at the specific direction and request of FMCSA.

I did NOT remind them, however, that FMCSA funds MCSAP - so where the heck have they been? In other words, the requirement for USDOT numbers has been on the books for 25 years and didn't change with the advent of UCR. This is really part of a much broader and deeper issue of interstate commerce.

We know the Feds want these "carriers" brought into the fold. Bill Quaid said so emphatically at the last Board meeting

So, either MCSAP hasn't been doing a critical job they've being paid to do for several decades, or UCR should be given credit for bringing a lot more carriers into the federal fold than would ever have been brought in without the UCR program.

Come on, give us a little credit! It's Christmas!