Compliance is where small carriers get caught out — not because the rules are complicated, but because the deadlines are scattered across quarters, drivers, and trucks, each on its own schedule. One missed IFTA filing or an expired medical card can mean penalties, a driver out of service, or worse. This guide lays out every deadline a small fleet needs to track in one place.
The company-level filings you can't miss
These are filed at the carrier level, not per driver or truck — but missing any of them can stop your whole operation:
IFTA — quarterly. Due April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31 for the prior quarter. Late filing brings penalties, interest, and repeated misses can put your fuel tax license at risk.
Form 2290 (HVUT) — annually, by August 31. The Heavy Vehicle Use Tax applies to vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more. New vehicles are due by the last day of the month after first use, not the standard August deadline.
UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) — annually. Registration for the following year typically opens in the fall and must be paid before you operate in the new registration year. The fee scales with fleet size.
MCS-150 — every two years. A biennial update tied to your USDOT number, required even if nothing about your operation changed. The filing window is set by the last two digits of your USDOT number.
Per-driver deadlines (the DQ file)
Every driver you hire brings their own set of dates to track. Miss one and that driver can't legally be dispatched:
CDL expiration. A driver operating on an expired CDL is an immediate compliance problem — and an easy one to miss without a reminder system.
Medical card / DOT physical. Required periodically depending on the driver's certification, usually every one to two years. Expired cards take a driver out of service on the spot.
Annual MVR review. Motor vehicle records must be pulled and reviewed once a year for every driver on file, documenting that the review happened.
Drug and alcohol testing program. Random testing pools, pre-employment tests, and program participation all run on their own schedules and need to stay current.
Annual violation certification. Drivers must certify their driving record annually, separate from the MVR pull itself.
Per-truck deadlines
Each truck in your fleet carries its own renewal schedule too — and every truck you add multiplies the number of dates you're responsible for:
Annual DOT inspection. Required once a year per vehicle. An expired inspection sticker is one of the fastest ways to get a truck placed out of service at a roadside check.
Registration / IRP. International Registration Plan credentials need annual renewal, apportioned across the states you operate in.
IFTA decal renewal. Decals are issued annually and must be current and displayed on every qualifying vehicle.
Insurance. Coverage must stay active and filed correctly — a lapse doesn't just risk a fine, it can suspend operating authority.
Form 2290, per qualifying vehicle. The same HVUT deadline from the company-level list above, but tracked and filed individually for each vehicle that meets the weight threshold.
Why deadlines slip — and how to stay ahead
None of these deadlines are hard to meet on their own. The problem is volume and scatter: quarterly filings, annual renewals, biennial updates, and per-driver, per-truck dates that all live on different calendars, often tracked in separate spreadsheets or not tracked at all. Add a truck or hire a driver and the number of dates you're responsible for grows again. The fix isn't remembering harder — it's having one system that holds every date, for every driver and truck, and tells you what's due before it's due.
How TruxIQ helps
TruxIQ tracks company-level, per-driver, and per-truck compliance deadlines in one place, with a clear "what's due next" view across your fleet. It's built to keep the dates visible as your fleet grows — not to file on your behalf. You still handle the actual filings; TruxIQ makes sure you know they're coming.
Frequently asked questions
- When is IFTA due each quarter?
- IFTA returns are due four times a year: April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31, covering the prior quarter. Miss a filing and you can face penalties, interest, and even license suspension, so calendar reminders per quarter are essential.
- When is Form 2290 (HVUT) due?
- Form 2290, the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, is generally due by August 31 for vehicles used on public highways with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. New vehicles are due by the last day of the month after first use.
- What is UCR and when is it due?
- Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is an annual fee based on fleet size that most interstate carriers must pay. Registration typically opens in the fall for the following year and is due before operating in the new registration year.
- How often is MCS-150 due?
- The MCS-150 (biennial update) must be filed every two years based on your USDOT number, even if nothing changed. The schedule depends on the last two digits of your USDOT number. Failing to update can deactivate your operating authority.
- What per-driver and per-truck deadlines should carriers track?
- Beyond company filings, carriers track per-driver items (CDL expiration, medical card/DOT physical, MVR review, drug and alcohol testing) and per-truck items (annual DOT inspection, registration/IRP, IFTA decal, insurance). Missing any can put a driver or truck out of service.