From: Joe Shannon (fordpart@bellsouth.net)
Date: Sat Nov 19 2005 - 10:20:29 PST
MV wrote:
> Well, I'd like Joe Shannon to pipe up here and comment on my replay
> also - please do Joe.
>
> I've got one commercial truck right now (26K tags) and I'm about to
> bring a tractor online also. I've got an IFTA Account for the truck I
> have now since I have pulled a trailer with it also so that puts it
> into the combination vehicle class which requires an IFTA sticker and
> quarterly fuel tax reporting/paying.
>
> I'm a private carrier so I don't have an MC number or Authorization to
> be a common carrier. (If this is going over your head, get in line -
> it took me a while to figure this out)
>
> Some definitions might be helpful for those not stricken by US
> Government trucking regs.
>
> MC number - shown on side of the cab of commerical carriers - An
> authorization number which means you have been granted the right to be
> a common carrier.
>
> IFTA number (and corresponding cab stickers) - International Fuel Tax
> Agreement - a way to pay fuel taxes "fairly" depending on what states
> you operate in. Must file quarterly returns.
>
> IRP account - International Registration Plan - read - "International
> license plate plan" - so that each state can suck some money out of
> you for driving a big rig in their state.
>
> When you go to the truck stop as an independant trucker if you have an
> MC number they will not make you pay the sales tax on the fuel since
> you are supposed to be using your IFTA account to pay all applicable
> taxes. The taxes paid by truckers with the IFTA stickers are actaully
> higher than if you were just going to pay the regular sales tax at the
> pump. Although you might not have to pay the tax at the pump, if you
> are honest on your IFTA quarterly filings, then you pay the regular
> sales tax amount and then some. No price break or tax break for
> truckers. Now if you are not honest about your IFTA filings, well then
> that is a different story.
>
> As I understand it now, most trucking companies are giving truckers
> rebates or price relief of fuel costs on top of their regular pay so
> they can hopefully make some money. These rebates are being tacked
> onto shipping charges are fuel surcharges that everyone pays. There
> are no great prices breaks for truckers anywhere that I can find.
>
> I think most truckers are resigned to paying higher prices. What's
> the point of bitching about it constantly. They have no control over
> it anyway. I'm sure the big carriers are constantly trying to
> negotiate the best fuel prices - wouldn't you? As a small guy, I just
> pay what it takes to get stuff from there to here and so forth. It's
> just getting really expensive.
>
> I went to Sam's club yesterday and bought two cases of Rotella T
> $44.00/case. One case of Antifreeze - $45.00/case and a bunch of
> transmission fluid. Total bill was $187. That same stuff would have
> been close to a $100 just 12 months ago.
>
> The government says that inflation is about 2% per year or so. That's
> total BS. Does anyone know of anything that hasn't gone up
> substantially in the last year? Steel - about 100%, Gas >50%, diesel
> >75%, wood products - plywood/osb >25% Food - a lot.
>
> The economy is going into the dumper - Delphi has declared bankrupty,
> GM is not far behind. The only corporations making lots of money are
> importing oil or chinese crap, or making money by repairing people
> (healthcare).
>
> Sonny, the short story is that if you are driving a big rig and not
> making money doing so, then you are going to pay the going rate. In
> general I don't move my big trucks unless I am making money. They
> don't burn fuel when they are parked. My 5 ton M51 dump has had few
> miles put on it recently, but I will probably fire it up again to haul
> several loads of gravel this winter.
>
> Dave
Dave, I agree with what you say as a whole. Sonny has obviously
Anyway, Dave, had I known that the paperwork would be as much
worked for someone else all his life, probably the government and had no
responsibilities that fell directly on his shoulders. And as for him
implying that I am a newcomer to the MV world I don't recall seeing him
at any of the conventions in the last 10 years that I have been a member
of the MVPA. If you would like to see one of my MVs turn to page 184 of
the Standard Catalog of US Military Vehicles and take a gander, you
might see my name mentioned on page 4 also.
trouble as it is I might have gone another route other than getting my
own authority but in my ignorance I went at it whole hog about 3 years
ago and after almost going broke waiting the 5 months for my authority
to be granted (and paying insurance all this time for nothing) it has
smoothed out but I will warn you that going with a 18 wheeler adds to
the scale house headaches because they automatically look at a big truck
more that a straight truck.
Anyone wanting more information can go to www.safersys.org and look me
up or anyone else who runs trucks.
--/"Sirs, you have no reason to be ashamed of your Confederate dead; see to it they have no reason to be ashamed of you"/
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