WASHINGTON, D.C. — The US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed hiking fees under the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA).

Now the trucking industry on both sides of the border is fighting back, insisting it’s a terrible time to hike carriers’ operating costs.

The proposed fee increases would be as high as 122% for some carriers and would rise from about $37,500 to $83,412 for a large carrier, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), which is opposing the hike along with the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

Adding to the associations’ ire is the fact the proposal notes that the fees must be increased to make up for deficiencies in the system for assigning and collecting fees from carriers, and the fact that some carriers are underreporting their number of qualifying vehicles to position themselves in a lower fee bracket.

“What has been created, in effect, is a system whereby carriers who comply with the law are paying a fee premium to cover those who don’t, and will in all likelihood escape detection by the states,” asserts CTA’s Ron Lennox. “No carrier should be required to pay more unless and until FMCSA can demonstrate that adequate steps have been taken to address deficiencies in the collection of UCRA fees.”