How to calculate your UCR fleet size correctly

Dec. 15, 2025, 12:21 p.m.
Your UCR fleet size determines how much you pay for Unified Carrier Registration each year. Calculating it incorrectly is one of the most common—and costly—UCR mistakes.
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Understand What Counts as a UCR “Vehicle”

For UCR purposes, you count power units, not trailers.

 Vehicles that count:

  • Trucks

  • Truck tractors

  • Buses (commercial passenger vehicles)

 Vehicles that do NOT count:

  • Trailers

  • Semi-trailers

  • Dollies

Only self-propelled commercial motor vehicles are included.

 Count Vehicles Used in Interstate Commerce

Include any power unit that:

  • Operates across state lines, OR

  • Transports interstate freight or passengers (even within one state)

This applies to:

  • For-hire carriers

  • Private carriers

  • Owner-operators

  • Passenger carriers

 Include All Vehicles You Own or Operate

Your fleet size must include:

  • Vehicles you own

  • Vehicles you lease (long-term or short-term)

  • Vehicles operated under your USDOT number

If the vehicle operates under your USDOT number, it counts—even if:

  • You don’t own it

  • It’s temporarily leased

  • It’s not used every day

 Use the Correct Timeframe (Very Important)

Your UCR fleet size is based on the highest number of power units you operated at any time during the previous calendar year.

 Example:

  • You ran 3 trucks in March

  • Expanded to 6 trucks in July

  • Reduced back to 4 trucks in December

Your UCR fleet size = 6

 Do NOT Reduce Fleet Size for Seasonal or Sold Vehicles

You must still count:

  • Trucks sold mid-year

  • Seasonal trucks

  • Trucks parked or inactive for part of the year

If they were operated at any point during the year, they count.

 Owner-Operators: Special Notes

Owner-operators with their own USDOT number:

  • Count your own truck(s)

Owner-operators leased to a carrier:

  • If operating under the carrier’s USDOT number, the carrier counts the truck—not you

 Brokers, Freight Forwarders & Leasing Companies

If you are:

  • A broker

  • A freight forwarder

  • A leasing company

 You do not count vehicles, but you must still:

  • Register for UCR

  • Pay the lowest UCR fee tier

 Double-Check Before Submitting

Before filing:
 Review your MCS-150
 Verify leased and temporary vehicles
 Confirm peak fleet size
 Make sure no trailers are counted

Over-reporting = overpaying
Under-reporting = penalties, citations, and audits

 Quick UCR Fleet Size Checklist

  •  Count power units only

  •  Include leased & owned vehicles

  •  Use the highest number operated last year

  •  Ignore trailers

  •  Don’t reduce for seasonal use

Bottom Line

Your UCR fleet size is the maximum number of power units you operated at any point during the previous year—nothing more, nothing less.

 

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