Intrastate or Interstate port of entry?

Ignore it all you want. The freight is interstate so therefore under Federal control. Just because some places are playing paper trail games doesn't make it legal. One day you'll get caught and you'll be on here crying about it.

 

Sure. The law is very clear. I hope you get caught and lose your authority.

What is the difference between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce?

 

What is the difference between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce?

If you perform trade, traffic, or transportation exclusively in your business’s domicile state, this is considered intrastate commerce.

If your trade, traffic, or transportation is one of the following, this is considered interstate commerce. Source: 49 CFR 390.5.:

• Between a place in a state and a place outside of such state (including a place outside of the United States)
• Between two places in a state through another state or a place outside of the United States
• Between two places in a state as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the state or the United States

https://ask.fmcsa.dot.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/249

 

Lol! Ok, bud.

 

That is simply masking the true nature of the shipment. The regulations are very clear, it is the intent of the original shipper and the freight itself that makes the difference in interstate vs. intrastate commerce. The only way to legally hand off an interstate shipment to an intrastate only carrier is if you operate exclusively in an exempt intra-city zone, or the freight has gone to a cross dock and been broken down, reworked and packaged as a new shipment. That is how UPS, FedEx and the rest do it, they work as freight forwarders at their docks to make new or consolidate shipments. Even then, they have interstate authority on their trucks for the times they don't meet the requirements to convert a piece of freight from interstate to intrastate.

What is the big deal about reinstating your MC number or applying for one if you never had one? It is $300 and possibly a new entrant audit. You have all the same compliance issues intrastate as you do interstate, except the insurance filing and you will need compliant insurance anyhow. Why play in the grey areas and try to skirt the intent of the regulations when compliance is almost a non-issue? I know Texas intrastate has some easier hours of service regulations but other than that their compliance requirements mirror the FMCSA.