The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ruled that it is illegal for New Jersey and two local governments to require trucks to display decals or other forms of identification.
The Oct. 20 ruling is a victory for American Trucking Associations, which filed a complaint with the federal agency in 2008 arguing that such identification requirements as those in New Jersey, New York City and Cook County, Ill., are prohibited under federal law.
FMCSA agreed, saying that, with few exceptions, federal law prohibits states and local governments “from requiring motor carriers to display in or on [trucks] any form of identification other than forms required by” the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Decals indicate a truck’s taxes have been paid.
ATA contended that federal law — the 2005 highway reauthorization act known as SAFETEA-LU — prohibits such identification requirements because they are “burdensome” for the trucking industry.
New Jersey required what it called a transport license plate and annual certificate on all carriers hauling fuel regardless of the carrier’s home state.
In New York City and Cook County, the decal requirements were directly connected to revenue collection — a stamp tax in New York and a wheel tax in Cook County.
