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FEATURED NEWS
2026-06-25T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsEnglishFocus AreaIn-Depth ArticleFleet OperationsHeavy vehicle use tax HVUTFleet TaxesFleet taxesTransportationUSA
How the IRS can park your truck
Every year, the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) season opens July 1, and every year the same pattern plays out.
It’s rarely the big stuff that gets carriers into trouble. Most fleets and owner-operators know they need to file Form 2290. They understand the August 31 deadline for vehicles in service in July. The real problems show up in the details.
A single wrong date. A mismatched name. One digit off in a vehicle identification number (VIN). These small errors can trigger IRS rejections, delay your stamped Schedule 1, and create a ripple effect that ends with delayed registrations or parked trucks. Before the season begins, it’s worth taking a closer look at some of the mistakes that cause the most headaches and how to avoid them.
EIN and legal business name
One of the fastest ways to get a Form 2290 rejected is a simple identity mismatch.
The IRS requires the Employer Identification Number (EIN) and legal business name on the return to match exactly what’s on file. Even small discrepancies — extra spaces, punctuation, or using a “doing business as” name — can cause a rejection.
A rejected filing means no Schedule 1 and no proof of HVUT payment when you need it to register the vehicle(s).
Using the wrong “month of first use”
This is one of the most common and costly errors. The filing deadline is based on when the vehicle is first used on public highways, not when it’s purchased or when the registration renews.
For vehicles in service in July, the deadline is August 31. For vehicles added later, the deadline shifts to the last day of the following month.
Here’s where many carriers go wrong:
- Using the purchase date instead of first dispatch,
- Defaulting everything to July, or
- Forgetting that mid-year additions have different deadlines.
Using the wrong date can lead to incorrect tax calculations or late filing penalties.
VIN errors that delay everything
A single incorrect character in a VIN can make your Schedule 1 unusable.
That means even if you paid the tax, you may not be able to use the document for registration until the error is corrected.
This is one of the most common causes of vehicle registration delays at the DMV or IRP office.
Reporting the wrong taxable gross weight
HVUT is based on taxable gross weight and misreporting it can lead to overpaying or underpaying. Some carriers:
- Estimate instead of verifying,
- Use empty weight instead of taxable gross weight, or
- Select the wrong category altogether.
Incorrect weight classification can trigger amendments, penalties, or unnecessary costs.
Assuming “no tax due” means “no filing required”
Even if a vehicle is expected to stay under the mileage threshold (generally 5,000 miles, or 7,500 for agricultural use), a return still needs to be filed to report the tax on that truck as suspended.
Skipping the filing altogether can create compliance gaps later in the year, especially if mileage limits are exceeded.
A simple way to stay ahead
The most effective way to avoid these issues is also the simplest: prepare before July 1 and double-check everything before you file.
A quick pre-season check should include:
- Verify EIN and legal business name.
- Confirm VINs against titles or equipment.
- Document the true first-use month.
- Review taxable gross weight classifications.
Key to remember: Form 2290 problems rarely come from not knowing the rules. They come from small, preventable mistakes that slip through during a busy season.
Getting it right the first time means fewer delays, fewer corrections—and fewer surprises when it’s time to register your vehicles. Because when HVUT season opens, it’s not just about filing a form. It’s about keeping your trucks on the road.
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RECENT INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS
2026-06-25T05:00:00Z
NewsHazardous WasteIndustry NewsWaste GeneratorsEnglishWasteEnvironmentalIn-Depth ArticleWaste/HazWasteFocus AreaUSA
Hazardous waste episodic events: What to do when a bad month happens
Every generator has that month. A tank clean-out gets scheduled; a forklift punctures a tote, and suddenly you've generated way more hazardous waste than you normally would. If you're a Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) or Small Quantity Generator (SQG), that one bad month could technically bump you into Large Quantity Generator (LQG) status, potentially subjecting the facility to LQG requirements such as contingency planning, personnel training, and biennial reporting.
The good news is that EPA built in an escape hatch. The 2016 Generator Improvements Rule added 40 CFR Part 262, Subpart L (the "episodic event" provision), which lets you keep your normal generator category for that month, if you follow the rules in 40 CFR 262.232 exactly.
Scenario 1: The planned tank clean-out
Picture a metal finishing shop that's normally an SQG, generating about 400 kg/month of spent plating solution. They finally get around to cleaning out an old process tank that's been sitting idle for three years. That clean-out produces about 1,800 kg of sludge in one shot and enough to push them into LQG numbers for the month.
Since this is something the facility planned and scheduled for, it's a planned episodic event. Here's what the employer would need to do:
- Notify EPA (or the delegated state agency) at least 30 calendar days before the clean-out starts, using EPA Form 8700-12. Include the start/end dates, why the event is happening, estimated waste types and quantities, and a 24-hour emergency contact.
- Double-check the facility's EPA ID number to make sure it is current.
- Stage the waste properly with compliant containers or tanks and labeled with the episodic event start date.
- Get it manifested and shipped off-site within 60 calendar days of the start date.
- Hang onto every record including the notification, manifests for 3 years after the event ends.
Scenario 2: The unplanned spill
Next, picture a packaging plant. They are a VSQG generating around 80 kg/month. They have a forklift punch a hole in a 275-gallon tote of listed solvent and by the time cleanup is done, they're looking at about 900 kg of contaminated absorbent and solvent residue. Nobody planned this. It's not part of normal operations. That makes it an unplanned episodic event. Here is what they should do:
- They have 72 hours to notify EPA or the state by phone, email, or fax. There will be no time to fill out paperwork first.
- Follow that up by submitting EPA Form 8700-12 after the fact, documenting what happened since you couldn't give advance notice.
- Keep the spill cleanup waste separate from your routine waste streams and label it with the episodic start date.
- The same 60-day shipping window and 3-year recordkeeping requirement apply here too.
The things you can't skip
Whether the event is planned or unplanned, there are a handful of conditions that apply across the board and missing any one of them could cost you the episodic event relief entirely.
- One event per year, period. Both VSQGs and SQGs get exactly one episodic event a year unless they petition the Regional Administrator under 40 CFR 262.233 for a second. That second one must be the opposite type, so if your first was planned, the next must be unplanned.
- The clock doesn't wait. Exactly 30 days out for planned and 72 hours for unplanned are required. Miss either window or you lose the relief entirely, meaning full LQG status kicks in for that period.
- The 60-day shipping clock starts on day one of the event, not when you send the notification, so make sure to track it immediately.
- Manifest the waste properly. Episodic waste can ship under the standard Subpart B manifest rules, even in the same load as your regular waste.
- Write everything down. Three years of solid records such as dates, causes of event, quantities, and where it went is what separates a clean inspection from an enforcement headache.
Keys to remember: The episodic event provision rewards generators who plan, classify the event correctly, notify on time, ship within 60 days, and document everything for three years.
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2026-06-25T05:00:00Z
NewsTransportationEnglishCommercial drivers license CDLBusiness planning - Motor CarrierCMV InspectionsCommercial drivers license CDLIndustry NewsIndustry NewsFederal Motor Carrier Safety RegulationsElectronic logging device (ELD)Electronic logging device (ELD)Daily vehicle inspectionsFleet OperationsFocus AreaUSA
3 new DOT rules target paperwork requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has finalized three rule changes to remove what it calls “unnecessary” mandates.
The changes, all effective July 22, 2026, eliminate or scale back paperwork-related obligations for drivers and motor carriers.
ELD user manuals
One rule change removes the requirement that an electronic logging device (ELD) operator’s manual be kept inside the vehicle. The FMCSA says carrying the manual no longer provides a meaningful safety benefit, particularly given that most manuals are accessible online or are built into the devices themselves.
The rule doesn’t change any core ELD obligations, including the need to carry ELD malfunction instructions, data-transfer instructions, and at least eight blank logs.
Roadside inspection reports
Another rule revises how completed roadside inspection reports are handled. Previously, motor carriers were required to return all such reports to the issuing state agency. Under the new rule, carriers only need to return these reports if the issuing state agency specifically requests or requires it.
Most states don’t require roadside inspection reports to be returned, making the federal rule unnecessary.
Motor carriers are still required to fix any defects identified on the report, sign it, and retain it for at least 12 months, even if the state doesn’t want a copy.
CDL self-reporting
Finally, the FMCSA is removing the long-standing requirement that commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders self-report out-of-state traffic convictions to their state of domicile.
The agency concluded that this requirement is now redundant, and has been unnecessary in most cases since 2013. In addition, since 2024, states have exchanged conviction data electronically, ensuring violations are automatically transmitted between licensing agencies. Under 49 CFR 383.31, drivers must continue to report traffic convictions to their employers within 30 days.
Two of the three rule changes were proposed in May 2025 as part of a slate of deregulatory actions by the new Trump administration, most of which have been finalized. The change to roadside inspection reporting was in response to a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
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2026-06-25T05:00:00Z
NewsTransportationEnglishCommercial drivers license CDLBusiness planning - Motor CarrierCMV InspectionsCommercial drivers license CDLIndustry NewsIndustry NewsFederal Motor Carrier Safety RegulationsElectronic logging device (ELD)Electronic logging device (ELD)Daily vehicle inspectionsFleet OperationsFocus AreaUSA
3 new DOT rules target paperwork requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has finalized three rule changes to remove what it calls “unnecessary” mandates.
The changes, all effective July 22, 2026, eliminate or scale back paperwork-related obligations for drivers and motor carriers.
ELD user manuals
One rule change removes the requirement that an electronic logging device (ELD) operator’s manual be kept inside the vehicle. The FMCSA says carrying the manual no longer provides a meaningful safety benefit, particularly given that most manuals are accessible online or are built into the devices themselves.
The rule doesn’t change any core ELD obligations, including the need to carry ELD malfunction instructions, data-transfer instructions, and at least eight blank logs.
Roadside inspection reports
Another rule revises how completed roadside inspection reports are handled. Previously, motor carriers were required to return all such reports to the issuing state agency. Under the new rule, carriers only need to return these reports if the issuing state agency specifically requests or requires it.
Most states don’t require roadside inspection reports to be returned, making the federal rule unnecessary.
Motor carriers are still required to fix any defects identified on the report, sign it, and retain it for at least 12 months, even if the state doesn’t want a copy.
CDL self-reporting
Finally, the FMCSA is removing the long-standing requirement that commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders self-report out-of-state traffic convictions to their state of domicile.
The agency concluded that this requirement is now redundant, and has been unnecessary in most cases since 2013. In addition, since 2024, states have exchanged conviction data electronically, ensuring violations are automatically transmitted between licensing agencies. Under 49 CFR 383.31, drivers must continue to report traffic convictions to their employers within 30 days.
Two of the three rule changes were proposed in May 2025 as part of a slate of deregulatory actions by the new Trump administration, most of which have been finalized. The change to roadside inspection reporting was in response to a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
Keep reading...Show less
2026-06-24T05:00:00Z
NewsHazardous WasteWaste HandlersChange NoticesChange NoticeWasteWaste/HazWasteWaste ManagementEnvironmentalNevadaEnglishFocus Area
Nevada adds requirements for hazardous waste recyclers
Effective date: June 8, 2026
This applies to: Hazardous waste recyclers
Description of change: The State Environmental Commission adopted regulations to add requirements for entities that recycle certain hazardous waste, including compliance with:
- Certain federal requirements;
- Local zoning requirements, if applicable;
- Specific reporting and notification requirements; and
- Other particular regulations of the commission.
The rules also:
- Exempt owners and operators of certain facilities that recycle certain hazardous materials without storing those materials before they’re recycled from the above requirements, and
- Add fees for written determinations (required to construct or operate a facility or mobile unit for hazardous waste recycling) and for the facilities that recycle certain hazardous materials without storing those materials before they’re recycled.
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2026-06-24T05:00:00Z
NewsIndianaSafe Drinking WaterChange NoticesChange NoticeWater ProgramsEnvironmentalCWA ComplianceEnglishUnderground Injection ControlFocus Area
Indiana adds permanent underground carbon dioxide storage rules
Effective date: June 10, 2026
This applies to: Entities that seek to participate in carbon sequestration projects
Description of change: The Natural Resources Commission adopted rules for permanent underground carbon dioxide storage, establishing:
- The applicability of carbon sequestration projects, and
- The rules for the Department of Natural Resources issuing involuntary integration orders and certificates of project completion.
The rules impact entities seeking to participate in carbon sequestration projects under IC 14-39. The regulations also affect pore space owners and surface owners.
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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.