Cullen Palmer Law Office LLP works with trucking companies to ensure compliance with state and federal transportation safety regulations, the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), the International Registration Plan (IRP), fuel tax and apportioned registration audits, and motor vehicle safety inspection violations.
We represent motor carriers and warehouse operations in every facet of transportation business, including dispute resolution, litigation, state and federal agency administrative matters (FMCSA, state public utilities agencies, etc.), and can assist you in implementing transportation and business-related contracts. We have experience in:
- Transferring hundreds of commercial vehicle titles, state tax audits such as fuel tax and state taxation of foreign corporations
- Calculating and filing quarterly state fuel tax returns
- Drafting commercial motor vehicle leases, owner-operator agreements, shipper-carrier agreements for small- and medium-sized businesses.
- Obtaining IRP license plates for commercial vehicle fleets, annual plate renewal, obtain temporary authorities for vehicles to travel in additional states or to add vehicles to fleets
- Preparing and filing IRS heavy highway vehicle use tax returns for trucking companies and owner-operators
- Preparing required annual filings for motor carriers registered with FMCSA for interstate operations
- Obtaining intrastate operating authorities for motor carriers in states across the country, obtain motor carrier authorities in Ontario, register trucking companies with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Canada Customs Agency for importing/exporting goods into and from Canada, compliance issues with customs regulations of both countries, including new electronic filing programs such as PARS and ACE
- Registration and renewal of registration for motor carriers transporting hazmat both within Ohio and across state lines, filing for federal and multi-state Uniform Program hazmat permits
- Filing of petitions to upgrade motor carrier safety ratings issued by FMCSA, able to avoid FMCSA and PUCO shutting down motor carriers for alleged safety violations, negotiating settlement of safety violation enforcement by FMCSA/PUCO, obtain reductions of fines assessed against motor carriers
- Establishing an overweight permit process for trucks operating at a Midwest intermodal facility, work with commercial developers and county boards of commissioners to gain approval for permit process
- Assisting motor carriers with various state liquor permits for transportation of alcohol
- Filing claims against property broker surety bond for recovery of motor carrier freight charges
- Obtaining special hauling permits for oversize and overweight commercial vehicles