An Illinois court has ruled that registration fees levied by California on motor carrier Schneider National were a violation of the International Registration Plan, the company said in a release.

While the ruling addressed only the fees assessed against Schneider, it could affect every trucker who runs in California.

California sent a notice to Schneider in 2002, claiming the carrier owed $6 million in registration fees on trailers only – separately from the fees charged on tractors.

The state claimed the IRP rules did not affect trailer registration fees, The Green Bay News-Chronicle reported, claiming that when it joined the compact that it did so under an exception that allowed separate trailer fees.

The IRP is an interstate compact that regulates the payment of truck registration fees among states.

Schneider, in a statement, said it object to the trailer assessments, and that California responded by raising the bill from $6 million to $10.7 million.

Schneider, which base plates in Illinois and Wisconsin, sued in Illinois court, which ruled that both the assessments by California were improper.

“The ruling is a victory for the entire trucking industry,” Thomas E. Vandenberg, general counsel of Schneider National, said in a statement. “The IRP was founded to ensure that trucking registration fees are collected and distributed in a uniform, equitable and efficient manner, and any threat to this system jeopardizes all commercial trucking companies.”