If you do LTL (less than load) or hot shot trucking, there's a high likelihood that you'll need IRP (International Registration Plan) plates. These plates act as your base plates, providing you with the authority to haul loads between states. However, running apportioned plates also means tracking your mileage carefully and submitting these reports annually.

Unfortunately, these requirements may be challenging to understand if you're a first-time trucker, especially if you're not running a full 18-wheeler. How does IRP affect you in these cases, and what should you know about it? Keep reading for three tips to help makes sense of the apportioning process and how it will impact your business.

1. You Don't Register Your Trailer

A potentially confusing point about receiving apportioned plates is that they don't apply to your trailer, but you still need to consider its weight. When registering for an IRP base plate, you use your expected maximum, fully-loaded weight between truck and trailer. You'll also need to know your unladen weight when registering.

What this requirement means for you in practice is that you don't need a new IRP registration if you switch trailers or if you use multiple trailers. Instead, you'll simply register those trailers as you usually would in your jurisdiction, and your IRP will continue to apply as long as you don't exceed your registered limits.

2. You Don't Need to Use Your Maximum Weight

When registering for your apportioned plate, one relatively straightforward option is to use the maximum combined weight rating for your truck and trailer. This approach has the advantage of keeping you covered with any safe load. On the other hand, you may need to pay more money by registering for a higher maximum weight than you're likely to carry.

If you know that you won't be hauling loads that approach the maximum weight limit for your truck and trailer, you can use a lower combined vehicle weight in your IRP rating. However, keep in mind that going over your registered weight is an offense that carries a fine, so it's critical to only choose a lower rating if you know you won't exceed it.

3. You Should Keep Your Options Open

If you live in a large state such as Texas or California, you may want to choose an intrastate plate instead of an IRP plate. Intrastate registrations can simplify bookkeeping, but they also limit your options. If you're doing LTL trucking, it's a good idea to be able to "chase the money," and that often means taking jobs that may push you across state lines.

An IRP apportioned plate provides you with the authority to do interstate trucking. The extra bookkeeping can quickly pay off by allowing you to take profitable jobs across state lines instead of limiting yourself to local runs that may pay much less.