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Comparison

UCR Tier 1 vs Tier 2: which bracket applies to your fleet

Quick answer

UCR Bracket 1 covers carriers with 0-2 power units and Bracket 2 covers carriers with 3-5 power units, with the per-bracket fees set by FMCSA rulemaking on the UCR Plan Board's recommendation; the 2027 fees stay in effect until a future rule changes them (49 USC §14504a). Trailers do not count, only power units (motor vehicles of 10,001+ lbs GVWR or GVW used in interstate commerce). Fleet size is locked as of July 1 of the year preceding the registration year - so the 2027 registration (paid by December 31, 2026) is calculated from the carrier's July 1, 2025 fleet count, a quirk that occasionally lets growing fleets stay one bracket lower for an additional year. The bracket boundary at 3 power units is the most common step-up trigger for owner-operators expanding to a small fleet. Under-reporting power units to fit a lower bracket is a §14504a(g) violation enforced through PRISM-linked weigh stations and triggers civil penalties at the next inspection.

Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated

Full 2027 UCR pricing by tier

Tier 1 (0–2 power units): $90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee). Tier 2 (3–5 power units): $255 ($167 UCR government fee + $88 service fee). Tier 3 (6–20 power units): $475 ($333 UCR government fee + $142 service fee). Tier 4 (21–100 power units): $1,500 ($1,163 UCR government fee + $337 service fee). Tier 5 (101-1,000) and Tier 6 (1,001+) carry federal fees of $5,548 and $54,165. Fleets over 100 power units are quoted. Request a quote through the contact form.

The UCR government fee is itemized separately from our service fee, and both are shown before you pay.

How to count your power units

UCR counts only commercial motor vehicles operated in interstate commerce as of July 1 of the prior year. Definitions:

Counted: trucks, tractors, buses (any self-propelled CMV used in interstate commerce).

Not counted: trailers, dollies, converter gears, intrastate-only vehicles, vehicles in a fleet but not yet placed in service.

Lease wrinkle: a leased-on owner-operator's truck counts toward the lessee carrier's UCR, not the owner-operator's. Reverse for trip-leased equipment held under the carrier's authority.

Multi-MC carriers: if one parent operates trucks under two MC numbers, each MC files its own UCR with its own count of trucks operating under that MC during the prior year.

Tier-2 jump: most common audit trigger

UCR auditors typically pull a carrier's IRP apportioned-plate roster and 2290 schedule list as of July 1 of the prior year and reconcile against the UCR fleet count. The bracket boundary at 3 trucks (Tier 1 → Tier 2) is the single most common audit trigger because owner-operators commonly add their second and third trucks mid-year and forget to update UCR.

If an audit shows under-reporting, the carrier owes the higher tier's fee, and any further consequence is set by the state. Filing accurate counts at the $167 Tier 2 fee instead of underreporting at the $55 Tier 1 fee is always cheaper.

How do Tier 1 and Tier 2 compare?

AttributeTier 1Tier 2
Power units0-23-5
2027 price (Fast Trucking Compliance total)$90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee)$255 ($167 UCR government fee + $88 service fee)
2027 UCR government fee$55$167
Typical carrier profileOwner-operator, broker, freight forwarderSmall fleet

When should you choose Tier 1 or Tier 2?

When to choose Tier 1

Tier 1 - 0-2 power units

Tier 1 covers owner-operators, brokers and freight forwarders: $90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee) for 2027.

When to choose Tier 2

Tier 2 - 3-5 power units

Tier 2 covers small fleets: $255 ($167 UCR government fee + $88 service fee) for 2027.

What's the next step in your filing?

File UCR at the right tier

Enter your power-unit count and the tier price is shown before you pay: Tier 1 $90 ($55 UCR government fee + $35 service fee), Tier 2 $255 ($167 UCR government fee + $88 service fee). We prepare your UCR registration; it is submitted to the National UCR System.

Start your UCR order - from $90

Informational only - not legal advice.

Independent filing service operated by Fast Filing Group LLC. Not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT, UCR.gov or any government agency.

Frequently asked questions

Do trailers count toward my UCR fleet size?

No. UCR counts power units only - trucks, tractors, buses. Trailers, dollies, and converter gears are not counted toward the bracket. Brokers and freight forwarders pay UCR as Tier 1 regardless of any equipment they own.

What if my fleet grew from 2 to 4 trucks during the year?

You report fleet size as of July 1 of the year before the registration year. So for the 2027 UCR registration (paid by Dec 31, 2026), you count the trucks you operated as of July 1, 2025. Adding trucks after July 1 does not bump you into the next bracket until the following year - but UCR auditors do verify counts against IRP/IFTA records, so accurate reporting matters.

Can a leased truck be counted on someone else's UCR?

Yes. The carrier whose authority the truck operates under counts it for UCR. If an owner-operator leases their truck to a motor carrier under a 49 CFR 376 lease, the motor carrier counts the truck on its UCR - not the owner-operator. The owner-operator only files UCR if they have their own MC authority.

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