SEATTLE--(Business Wire)--
Today, MTR Western, a Seattle-based charter motorcoach company,
responds to misleading statements issued in a press release April 10,
2008 by the Washington State Republican Party, in which the license
plates on its vehicles were referenced and questioned in relation to
their use on the governor's campaign trail. MTR Western operates a
fleet of 145 charter motorcoaches based in principal cities throughout
the Western U.S. and Canada -- all of which carry Oregon license
plates.
"Our Oregon license plates are issued pursuant to the
International Registration Plan (IRP), which was created by wise
federal legislation put in to place to simplify the registration of
commercial vehicles that travel in interstate commerce," said MTR
Western CEO and founder Darren Berg. "It's disheartening to be
associated with misleading statements that support an opinion that
business opportunities are grim in the state of Washington."
The International Registration Plan is a multi-jurisdictional
registration reciprocity treaty among states of the United States and
provinces of Canada providing for the fair sharing of licensing and
registration fees among states and provinces based on the pro rata
number of miles a truck or bus travels in all jurisdictions. Per its
terms, companies such as MTR Western that operate commercial trucks or
buses across state lines are no longer required to register their
vehicles in each state and province in which they travel; rather they
report the miles they travel within each state and province to the IRP
on a quarterly basis. The IRP then fairly apportions and distributes
appropriate licensing and registration fees back to the states and
provinces where that commercial vehicle traveled. Additionally, given
commercial vehicles used in interstate commerce are exempt from sales
taxation, there is no financial advantage to obtaining IRP license
plates from the state of Oregon rather than from the state of
Washington.
"The IRP has been a red tape cutting dream come true for
interstate trucking and bus companies. It has eliminated countless
duplicate rules and regulations," said Berg.
MTR Western's three-year growth of 1,214.9% recently earned it
national recognition in Inc. Magazine's 500 List of "America's Fastest
Growing Private Companies" in 2007. The list ranks MTR Western as No.
166 in America, No. 9 in Washington, and No. 3 in the Transportation
category.
Berg founded MTR Western as a Seattle-based motorcoach company in
May of 2003. In July of 2003, MTR Western acquired a small and
long-established bus company in Oregon. The two companies were merged
together and MTR Western continues to operate with Oregon license
plates on its fleet. Since then, it has expanded to Vancouver, BC;
Calgary, AB; Portland, Ore.; San Francisco, Calif.; Los Angeles,
Calif.; and Salt Lake City, Utah to become the largest all-premium
fleet of motorcoaches in North America, employing a staff of 258.
About the International Registration Plan
The IRP is a subsidiary of the American Association of Motor
Vehicle Administrators. For more information about the IRP, visit
www.irponline.org.
About MTR Western
Based in Seattle, MTR Western is a charter motorcoach company
focused exclusively on providing premium group transportation
solutions to customers who care about service, safety and security.
Operations began on May 1, 2003. Today, MTR Western owns and operates
the largest all-premium fleet of motorcoaches in North America (145 in
total) with facilities in Seattle; Portland; San Francisco; Los
Angeles; Salt Lake City; Vancouver, BC; and Calgary, AB. MTR Western
services the NFL and MLB teams, corporate customers such as Microsoft,
Nike, Intel, Google and Yahoo, touring entertainers, campaigning
political candidates, and premium over-the-road tour operators such as
Tauck World Discovery. MTR Western's business offices are located in
downtown Seattle, Wash., and the company is privately held. For more
information, visit the Web site at www.mtrwestern.com.
Media:
Richmond Public Relations
Lorne Richmond, 206-682-6979 or 206-910-0531 (cell)
lorne@richmondpr.com
or
Danielle Zarrella, 206-682-6979 or 206-437-1890 (cell)
daniellez@richmondpr.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
