Fleet Registration is a motor vehicle registration for multiple, generally non-apportioned, vehicles traveling in-state. A fleet registration encompasses 15-99 total vehicles, though exact numbers can vary from case to case. Often a fleet is composed of trucks or vans, though a client may also register passenger cars, limousines, ambulances, taxis, buses, and other types of vehicles under a fleet registration depending on his or her given industry.
All vehicles within a fleet fall under the same timetable for renewal or expiration. To apply for a fleet registration in Pennsylvania, you must fill out an MV-670 and send it to PennDOT in advance of your fleet conducting commercial business. Considering there are 11 different types of fleet registrations which vary depending on the class of the business and if the applicant is a private, public, municipal, or government fleet applicant, you may want to work with a Pennsylvania auto tag agency specializing in fleet registration to help you complete the exact fleet registration applicable to your business.
What are the benefits of Fleet Registration?
If you register commercial vehicles separately, keeping track of each vehicle’s individual renewal date can become a nightmare. With a fleet registration, you can consolidate the complexities of renewing your commercial vehicles into a renewable account with a single annual invoice renewing in a month of your choice.
Rather than receiving renewal applications for each individual vehicle at different dates, you can choose to receive a single invoice listing all of your vehicles by registering your vehicles under a single fleet. Your company will receive a renewal application listing all vehicles in the fleet from PA Fleet Registration Services 90 days before the expiration date of the registration. The renewal application allows you to make changes to your account or vehicles before your actual renewal date. If you need to add or remove vehicles from a fleet account due to changes during the year you can do so with time to spare so that PennDOT can generate an accurate renewal invoice.
How is Fleet Registration Different from Apportioned Registration?
Fleet registration and apportioned registrations have a lot of overlap, but they are not exactly the same. Fleets serve commercial purposes – they perform business operations for a company in-state (Intrastate). An apportioned vehicle is also a commercial vehicle, but one that does extensive traveling across state lines (Interstate).
Charter Buses and vehicles whose Gross Vehicle Weight exceeds 26,000 lbs or have 3 or more axles and operate across different jurisdictions (Interstate) can be Apportioned within the Fleet renewal program however since all Apportioned vehicles renew June 1 of each year you do not have the option of choosing a renewal month. An apportioned registration account tracks how much a vehicle travels in each state, and calculates the exact fees owed to the jurisdictions the vehicle has driven in based on the vehicle’s mileage and weight. On the other hand, a PA fleet primarily conducts its business in-state.
Also Read: How to Title and Register Your Boat in Pennsylvania
Though both types of registrations are for commercial use, they have different registration specifications and cannot be consolidated into one account.
Except for Government, Municipal pickup and delivery, or vehicles operating with a restricted plate, all vehicles must be registered as apportioned if it –
i. Is a commercial vehicle operating in two or more jurisdictions
ii. Is a power unit having a gross vehicle weight or registered gross weight in excess of 26,000 pounds (11,793.401 kilograms);
iii. Is a power unit having three or more axles, regardless of weight; or,
iv. Is used in combination when the gross vehicle weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds
(11,793.401 kilograms)
What Information Do You Need to Register Your Fleet?
To register you must fill out an MV-670 form, which you can find online at the PennDOT website, as well as other forms depending on the exact fleet registration program you intend to enroll in.
To complete these forms, you will need your own basic address information, the number of trucks you want to register (and their license plates), the serial number of the vehicles, the combined axles, weight, vehicle changes information, and insurance information of the vehicles you wish to register. For help applying for fleet registrations, or to learn more about the differences between apportioned and fleet registrations, be sure to contact a local auto tags business like 309 Auto Tags with a background in registering fleets.
