Tankers Oppose Hazmat Fee Hike

A rule raising hazardous materials registration fees from $300 to $2,000 is unfair and “riddled with loopholes,” according to a group representing hazmat carriers.

The greater fee would be paid by carriers with annual revenue of more than $18.5 million, while carriers with less revenue would continue paying the smaller fee. The rule, announced Feb. 14, also expands the number of carriers and shippers that will have to register from 27,000 to an estimated 45,000 ("Hazardous Materials Carriers Face Huge Increase in Registration Fees," 2-21, p. 5).

In a petition with the Department of Transportation’s Research & Special Programs Administration, National Tank Truck Carriers President Cliff J. Harvison said a more reasonable approach would be a flat fee of $345 paid by all parties involved in the transportation of hazardous materials.

American Trucking Associations also criticized the new fee structure, saying it should have been based on the amount of hazmats carried, not company revenue. The higher fee is slated to take effect May 1.

For the full story, see the Mar. 6 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.