Easy-to-Use Online Services Coming Soon  

Updating information on fleet counts and insurance is all part of the motor carrier registration update process required each year by the federal government and much of it is still done by paper. Once the paper forms are filed they must then travel through a maze of government agencies.

To help streamline this process the PUCO will be offering a new easy-to-use web resource for the 2014 registration update period.

The new Ohio Motor Carrier Information System (OMCIS) lets users create a custom profile and manage all their compliance needs from one location. Users can update their registration, make payments, access other critical resources, or correspond directly with PUCO staff.

Some sections of OMCIS have already been deployed while others will launch later this year. The PUCO will notify motor carriers once the system is fully operational. 

PUCO Facilitates Timely Propane Delivery

Long periods of subzero temperatures this winter mixed with unusually heavy rains from last year’s harvest season have strained local propane supplies and caused some suppliers to send drivers all the way to Texas to meet demand. 

It all started last November when farmers struggled to find propane to fuel their giant oven-like machines used to dry crops for storage and prevent rot. The extreme cold weather that followed caused a surge in demand from nearly 250,000 Ohio households that rely on propane and heating oil to keep warm. The early spike demand has kept eyes on the thermostat.

To ensure Ohio families receive timely heating deliveries the PUCO set up call centers and temporarily waived the hours of service regulations for commercial motor vehicles that haul propane and heating oil. There were 7 waivers issued for intrastate vehicles since January and Governor John Kasich issued an emergency proclamation about the situation in February. 

A new law has been passed to extend emergency declarations up to May 31 to permit tank truck operators delivering propane and other home heating fuels to drive for longer hours to speed up deliveries to affected states. Check the FMCSA website for details.