Before the turkey and stuffing were digested (or in some cases prepared) newspapers, television and radio were overtaken with “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” advertisements. For those who participated in the madness which 3:00 AM brings the Friday after Thanksgiving, the hope is the deals ventured out for were discovered. For those who spent Monday glued to their devices searching for rock bottom prices on the “must have items of 2016”, the hope is the bosses didn’t notice the inevitable lack of productivity. There are still plenty of deals to be had at the friendly local Secretary of State Office! The article this week will discuss some great deals and discounts offered for second division vehicle registration.
What’s even better about Jesse White’s registration deals is one doesn’t have to wake up at preposterous hours of the morning, or search through hundreds of websites to find it. These deals are available all year round and there is only one website to visit to find all the information: www.cyberdriveillinois.com.
These deals and discounts are not part of any type of promotion or sale, they are special types of registration offered for certain vehicles qualifying for their use. Over the past year, the ITEA has released several blogs about different types of specialized registration which can be purchased for a variety of vehicles. The fact is there is likely a special type of registration to fit the specific needs of any trucking company in Illinois, the land of over 100 plates.
Many of the specialized types of registration, such as Permanently Mounted Equipment (PM) and Farm Machinery (FM), may only be used on vehicles which perform specific functions or carry certain items. These plates are offered at a significantly reduced cost due to their limited use. There is, however, one little known type of registration which has the versatility to meet the needs of many intrastate carriers in Illinois.
The Mileage Tax registration plate is offered for second division vehicles registered from 12,000 lbs up to 80,000 lbs. These plates may be used on a second division vehicle being operated for virtually any purpose. This type of registration is offered at a cost ranging from $95 to $1630, depending on the weight covered by the plate. Mileage Tax plates are also offered for trailers with a cost ranging from $98 to $870 depending on weight coverage. These rates are nearly half of what one would pay if purchasing base weight plates.
Like any specialized registration, Mileage Tax plates do come with some restrictions. The most obvious of them being the mileage restriction itself. For every vehicle bearing these plates, a log must be kept recording the miles traveled annually. This information must then be provided to the Secretary of State at the end of the registration year.
The miles a vehicle can travel annually is also restricted based on the plate. Mileage Tax plates allow vehicles to travel from 5,000 to 7,000 miles annually depending on the weight rating of the plate. In addition to the original registration fees, a $500.00 surety bond is also required at the beginning of the registration year.
This bond will be used to cover any overages in mileage that may occur throughout the year. The penalty for traveling over the allowed mileage is between $0.02 – $0.27 per mile depending on the weight covered by the plate.
Power units and trailers which are registered with Mileage Tax plates must have a working odometer or hubometer in order for the plates to be considered valid. Any vehicle caught operating without a functioning odometer or hubometer will be considered operating without valid registration. The vehicles will be weighed and fined the amount which a base plate would cost for the vehicle, plus court fees.
Finally, and most importantly, Mileage Tax plates may only be used for intrastate trucking as they have no reciprocity in other states. Those traveling into other states must stick with flat weight (and the important “trip permit”) or apportioned plates.
While Mileage Tax registration may not work for everyone, it can be a cost-saving option for many companies. Sometimes savings, deals and discounts are available all year round. One only needs to know where to find them. No early mornings, waiting in line or dealing with unruly crowds is needed when you subscribe to the ITEA blog!
There are many more registration options buried deep within the pages of the Illinois Vehicle Code. These will be covered by the ITEA in future blogs.
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