The Voice of Trucking in Illinois

 

 ILLINOIS TRUCKING THIS WEEK

December 18, 2014

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY UPDATE

ITA participates in Rauner Transition Team Infrastructure Committee - ITA Executive Director, Matt Hart, was recently appointed to the infrastructure committee of Governor-elect Bruce Rauner's Transition Team.  The Infrastructure Committee met again this week to discuss funding needs as well as proposals to pay for road and bridge improvements.  Hart continued to raise concerns about the hundreds of millions of dollars in road fund diversions and he also reiterated the need to repeal the Commercial Distribution Fee, a 14.35% sales tax on truck license plates that adds up to $400 to the cost of a registration fee. 

"Governor elect Rauner is focused on presenting a bold plan for infrastructure investment," said Hart.  "Thus far, the incoming administration is considering all possibilities when it comes to funding roads and funding state government.  This Spring will be a critical time for trucking industry leaders to communicate with their elected officials on how best to improve and expand our bridge and highway network."

Governor Quinn Call Special Session - On Thursday, outgoing Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn, announced he is calling legislators back to Springfield for a Special Session on January 8.  Lawmakers had previously adjourned and did not plan to meet again until the new Illinois General Assembly is installed on January 14.  Quinn called the session to address the vacancy created in the Comptroller's Office due to the recent passing of Judy Barr Topinka, who was the current Comptroller.  Topinka was reelected in November.

IRP (International Registration Plan) UPDATE

IRP letters are being mailed by the Secretary of State. This letter has your online PIN registration number that is required to process your renewal online. The online registration should be in full operation within the next couple weeks.

Illinois and all other states have accepted the FRP (Full Reciprocity Plan) meaning that each plate will receive all 59 jurisdictions. You will only report the actual miles in the states you traveled, for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. THERE IS NO REPORTING OF ESTIMATED MILES.

You will no longer need to add jurisdictions, because you have them all. You will not be charged for any that you are not traveling in or through.  If you have questions please contact ITA Safety Director, Linda Blisset, by email at [email protected] or by calling the ITA offices at (217) 789-6017 or (630) 654-0884.

IFTA AND UCR DEADLINE: DECEMBER 31

ITA reminds everyone that IFTA and UCR renewals are due December 31.  Please see below for more details.  If you have any questions about IFTA, UCR, or Intrastate Cab Cards, please contact ITA Director of Safety, Linda Blisset at [email protected].

IFTA Renewal: Process the decal renewal online at My Tax Illinois, https://mytax.illinois.gov.  If your renewal is processed by the deadline your decals for 2014 will be good until you received your 2015 decals. If your renewal is not paid by the deadline your IFTA will be expired.

UCR Renewal: After December 31, 2014 if stopped by law enforcement you could receive a $300.00 citation.

Pay with the Illinois Commerce Commission by mail or in person. The UCR 2015 form can be found on their website: www.icc.illinois.gov.  Under Transportation - Motor Carrier - Forms; or file online using Indiana's UCR online filing: www.ucr.in.gov.  The filing is immediate, your receipt can be printed at the end of the filing. There is a small processing fee for the online service.

Intrastate Cab Cards: For intrastate carrier (no DOT #) Intrastate cab cards need purchased for 2015 from the Illinois Commerce Commission. Call 217-782-4654.

HOURS OF SERVICE FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICE

(by Brian Lagana, ATA)

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has now posted the federal register notice on their website advising the public that the restart restrictions have been officially suspended.  The agency has also issued a memo to enforcement personnel to alert them to the suspension and advising them of the new enforcement policy.  Specifically, the memo to enforcement says that, effective 12/16, violations of the 60/70 hour rule based on a driver's failure to comply with the restart restrictions may not be cited during any enforcement action including inspections, safety audits or investigations. The prohibition applies to all such actions conducted by FMCSA personnel and state enforcement personnel utilizing MCSAP funding.

Also, the memo to enforcement says that "Any request received through the DataQs system to remove a violation of 49 CFR 395.3 (b) (restart restrictions) that occurred on or after the effective date of this policy (December 16th) should be immediately accepted and the violation removed if the violation was not determined in accordance with this policy."    

We encourage everyone to consider providing a copy of the attached notice to your drivers in the event that they encounter enforcement personnel who are not aware of FMCSA's new restart enforcement policy.

DRUG & ALCOHOL TESTING WEBINAR - JANUARY 15; REGISTER NOW

Implementing a drug & alcohol testing program can be more than a regulatory compliance issue.  Effective D&A programs have been proven to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and turnover, reduce accidents and lower workers comp costs.

Join ITA for a webinar at 2 PM on January 15 titled, "Drug and Alcohol Testing: The Traps and Benefits of a Managed Program."  The webinar is free to any ITA member and it is sponsored by the ITA's Safety Maintenance Council and Foley Services, and ITA member.  Click here to register.

ITA/TIPAC BOXING NIGHT - FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Mark your calendars now for the ITA/TIPAC Boxing Night on February 11 at the Ashton Place in Willowbrook.  Boxing Night is a great event to come out and network with trucking industry leaders and be entertained by 8 bouts of Golden Gloves Boxing.  More information, including registration and sponsorship information, will be available in the coming weeks.   

(courtesy of Bob Pitcher, American Trucking Association) 
 

Congress Passes Federal Tax Extenders - On December 16, the U.S. Senate passed the tax extenders bill that the House of Representatives passed last week.  The President is expected to sign the bill into law.  (The legislation is H.R. 5771, the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014.)  In general, the Act extends through the end of calendar 2014 some fifty provisions of the Tax Code that expired at the end of 2013 or during 2014.  Congress has extended many of the same provisions before, year by year.  This bill does not make any of the provisions permanent, as had been proposed earlier.  The extensions include provisions that affect both corporate and individual income taxes and the federal excise taxes on fuels.  A summary of the legislation may be found here:  http://rules.house.gov/bill/113/hr-5771.   The provisions of the Act most likely to affect at least some motor carriers are these (the section numbers are those of the Act):

Sec. 125.  Extension of Bonus Depreciation.  This provision extends the 50 percent bonus depreciation option for nearly all business equipment - including motor carrier rolling stock - placed into service during calendar 2014.  (The section also extends taxpayers' option to accelerate the use of alternative minimum tax credits in lieu of bonus depreciation.)  Given that many motor carriers have replaced older equipment during 2014, or are engaged in expanding their fleets, this section is likely to be the single most important extender for the industry.

Sec. 127.  Extension of Increased Expensing.  This section extends the full expensing of property placed into service by small businesses, subject to the limitations in effect during 2010 through 2013.  That is, the provision allows the write-off of up to $500,000 of the expense of a single item of such property, with a progressive phase-out of the tax break for companies whose total purchases of such property exceed $2 million.  (Without the extension, these limits would have reverted to $25,000 and $200,000, respectively.)

Sec. 160.  Extension of Fuel Tax Credit for Propane.  This provision extends the $0.50 per gallon credit for the business use of propane and other alternative fuels and fuel mixtures.  The use of propane in forklifts qualifies for the credit. 

IRS Issues Mileage Rates for 2015 - The federal Internal Revenue Service has published the standard mileage rates it will accept for business travel deductions during 2015.  The rate for travel by car will rise from the current 56 cents a mile to 57.5 cents.  The use of a car for charitable purposes remains at 14 cents a mile, and travel for medical care at 23 cents a mile.  IRS adds that these rates need not be used if a taxpayer maintains records that document a different amount.