A method of terminating two or more constituent encoders of a turbo encoder employing a turbo code, comprising the step of: generating tail input bits at each of two or more constituent encoders, including deriving the tail input bits from each of the two or more constituent encoders separately from a contents of shift registers within each of the two or more constituent encoders, after an encoding of information bits by the two or more constituent encoders; puncturing one or more tail output bits such that 1/R output tail bits are transmitted for each of a plurality of trellis branches, wherein R is a turbo code rate employed by the turbo encoder during an information bit transmission. In yet another variation, the step of puncturing the tail output bits further comprises the step of: transmitting, during trellis termination, the tail output bits, only if they are sent from an output branch of one of the two or more constituent encoders that are used during information bit transmission.