What is IRP?
The International Registration Plan (IRP) is a reciprocity agreement among states, the District of Columbia, and Canada that simplifies fleet management for commercial vehicles. If you have a commercial fleet with vehicles that travel in multiple states or provinces and weigh over 26,000 pounds, you need to be familiar with IRP.
IRP offers two types of license plates for commercial trucks: Base plates and Apportioned plates (IRP). Base plates are issued by a single state or jurisdiction and are used for vehicles that operate within that jurisdiction. Apportioned plates, on the other hand, are issued under IRP and allow commercial vehicles to travel across multiple states or provinces without the need for separate registrations.
The advantage of the IRP plan is that it streamlines the registration process by providing one license plate and cab card for each vehicle. This means that instead of dealing with individual registrations for each state or province your vehicles operate in, you can have a single set of credentials that allows your commercial fleet to operate seamlessly across borders.
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How Does it Work?
To understand how IRP works, it's important to consider the factors that determine registration fees. The state registration payment for an assigned plate can vary based on the base state, gross vehicle weight, and the states requested to register. For a fleet with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 80,000 pounds running in all 48 lower states, the cost typically falls between $1500 and $2000.
Several items are used to calculate registration fees, including:
- The percentage of miles driven in each jurisdiction
- Vehicle identification information
- Maximum GVWR
- Vehicle value
- Vehicle age
- Unladen weight
To determine the apportioned percentage for a given jurisdiction, drivers must track how many miles the fleet travels in each state. This can be easily done with the help of fleet management software, which provides real-time data on mileage and location.
Because of IRP, fleet managers can streamline their operations and avoid the hassle of dealing with individual registrations in each state or province. By having a single set of credentials, including the IRP license plate and cab card, commercial vehicles can operate seamlessly across borders. This simplifies fleet management and ensures compliance with the necessary regulations.
Implementing fleet management software is crucial for effective IRP management. It provides visibility into operations, allowing fleet managers to track mileage, calculate registration fees, and manage their fleet efficiently. By utilizing the IRP and fleet management software, commercial fleets can reduce administrative burdens, minimize errors, and improve overall productivity.
If you're looking for software that can help you track state miles and provide an audit trail for compliance, TruckSpy's fleet management software is a reliable solution.
