How Many Trucking Companies Are in the United States?

The United States trucking industry is the backbone of American commerce. Trucks move approximately 72% of all freight tonnage in the country, generating over $900 billion in annual revenue. But exactly how many trucking companies are operating across the US today?

According to the most recent data compiled from public carrier registration records, there are over 4.29 million registered motor carrier entities across all 50 states and Washington DC. This figure includes interstate carriers, intrastate carriers, intrastate hazmat carriers, private fleets, owner-operators, and for-hire trucking companies of all sizes. The USTruckingCompanies.com database captures 4,296,001 of these carriers with 26 data fields per record — making it one of the most complete lists of trucking companies in the USA available for download.

US Trucking Industry Overview

The American trucking industry is enormous and highly fragmented. While companies like UPS, FedEx, and Knight-Swift dominate headlines, the vast majority of trucking companies in the United States are small operations. Industry data shows that over 90% of carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks, and more than 97% have fewer than 100 power units. The typical trucking company is an owner-operator running a single truck or a small fleet serving regional routes.

The number of registered motor carriers has fluctuated in recent years. The post-2020 period saw a surge in new carrier registrations as freight demand spiked and owner-operators entered the market. That growth has since stabilized, with some contraction in the for-hire interstate segment. However, the total universe of USDOT-registered motor carrier entities — which includes private fleets, intrastate carriers, and hazmat operators — remains well above 4 million.

This matters for anyone selling products or services to the trucking industry. Whether you're a freight broker building a carrier network, an insurance agent prospecting fleet operators, an ELD provider targeting owner-operators, or a factoring company looking for new trucking clients — the size and distribution of the market across all 50 states determines where your opportunities are.

Number of Trucking Companies by State

The following table shows the complete state-by-state breakdown of trucking company records in the USTruckingCompanies.com database. Each state listing includes the total number of carrier records along with the number that include an email address and phone number — the two most important fields for B2B outreach.

State	Total Records	With Email	With Phone
California	491,638	277,347	478,925
Texas	364,086	285,944	354,809
Florida	279,854	200,019	274,213
Georgia	216,626	150,904	211,764
New York	208,752	139,746	203,076
Pennsylvania	164,771	111,546	156,604
Illinois	141,215	89,319	133,983
North Carolina	131,068	90,564	126,309
Michigan	128,508	74,855	122,851
New Jersey	127,546	85,708	122,515
Ohio	119,364	83,704	116,414
Minnesota	118,414	70,394	115,091
Indiana	106,201	58,016	103,509
Wisconsin	99,675	63,489	97,207
Maryland	93,982	65,799	91,171
Washington	87,164	62,433	85,238
Kentucky	82,407	44,044	79,058
Alabama	81,397	50,502	79,088
Colorado	79,012	54,761	76,843
Massachusetts	78,282	57,674	74,985
Tennessee	78,203	46,442	74,118
Missouri	71,532	45,013	69,265
Virginia	67,672	46,982	64,288
South Carolina	61,163	42,077	59,686
Arizona	58,892	42,578	56,894
Iowa	57,009	31,124	54,088
Oklahoma	56,918	35,839	55,128
Oregon	53,078	32,781	50,346
Nebraska	50,869	27,190	49,426
Connecticut	46,566	31,573	45,522
Kansas	44,995	28,699	42,918
Mississippi	44,994	27,905	43,214
Louisiana	44,816	26,224	43,366
Utah	42,137	27,878	40,440
Arkansas	37,739	21,142	36,381
Idaho	29,548	18,832	27,576
West Virginia	29,400	15,150	28,750
Nevada	27,172	19,769	25,212
Maine	25,351	13,935	24,365
New Mexico	23,834	14,998	23,164
Montana	20,436	13,036	19,794
New Hampshire	19,639	11,409	18,793
North Dakota	16,716	10,522	16,146
South Dakota	16,549	9,616	16,002
Wyoming	14,990	9,461	14,350
Delaware	14,764	9,854	14,000
Rhode Island	14,435	8,212	13,838
Alaska	9,300	7,281	9,160
Vermont	8,238	4,431	8,028
Hawaii	6,267	5,357	6,115
Washington DC	2,817	1,774	2,512
TOTAL — All States	4,296,001	2,803,852	4,156,538

Source: USTruckingCompanies.com database compiled from public carrier registration records. Click any state name to view detailed coverage data.

The Top 10 States With the Most Trucking Companies

The geographic distribution of trucking companies closely follows population density, economic activity, and proximity to major freight corridors. The top 10 states by carrier count are:

1. California — 491,638 carriers. The largest trucking market in the US. Home to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (the busiest in North America), California's trucking industry serves the massive consumer economy of the West Coast.
2. Texas — 364,086 carriers. The second-largest state. Texas benefits from cross-border trade with Mexico, Gulf Coast port activity, and a booming energy sector that drives demand for specialized freight hauling.
3. Florida — 279,854 carriers. A major gateway for Latin American trade and cruise industry logistics. Florida's large consumer population and tourism industry generate enormous freight demand.
4. Georgia — 216,626 carriers. Atlanta is one of the largest freight distribution hubs in the Southeast, and the Port of Savannah is the fastest-growing container port in the US.
5. New York — 208,752 carriers. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest on the East Coast. New York's dense urban delivery networks and Northeast corridor position make it a critical freight market.
6. Pennsylvania — 164,771 carriers. A key eastern corridor state where I-76, I-80, and I-81 create one of the densest interchange networks in the country.
7. Illinois — 141,215 carriers. Chicago is the freight capital of the Midwest — the nation's largest intermodal hub and a critical junction for east-west and north-south freight flows.
8. North Carolina — 131,068 carriers. A fast-growing southeastern market with expanding distribution centers and manufacturing corridors.
9. Michigan — 128,508 carriers. The heart of US automotive manufacturing, with extensive cross-border trade through Detroit.
10. New Jersey — 127,546 carriers. One of the most freight-dense states per square mile, with massive warehouse districts and direct port access.

Together, these 10 states account for 2,254,464 carriers — over 52% of the national total. If you are running a national outreach campaign targeting trucking companies, focusing on these states first will give you the highest concentration of prospects per dollar spent.

How the Trucking Industry Is Structured

The US trucking industry is one of the most fragmented industries in the American economy. Understanding its structure helps explain why the total carrier count is so high and why a comprehensive trucking company database is so valuable for B2B outreach.

Owner-Operators Dominate

The overwhelming majority of trucking companies are small operations. Over 90% of registered carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks, and approximately 70% of for-hire carriers operate just a single power unit. These are typically independent owner-operators — individuals who own their truck and either haul freight independently or lease onto larger carriers.

This fragmentation is exactly why a trucking company database is so valuable. You can't reach 4 million small carriers through a handful of enterprise sales calls. You need data — phone numbers, email addresses, and officer names — to execute outreach at scale.

For-Hire vs. Private Carriers

The FMCSA classifies motor carriers into two main categories. For-hire carriers (approximately 71% of registrations) transport goods for other businesses and charge for the service. Private carriers (approximately 27%) haul their own company's goods using their own trucks — think a manufacturing company that runs its own delivery fleet. Both types are included in the USTruckingCompanies.com database and both represent valid outreach targets for different products and services.

Interstate vs. Intrastate

Carriers are also classified by their operating scope. Interstate carriers transport goods across state lines and must register with the FMCSA for a USDOT number. Intrastate carriers operate only within a single state. Intrastate hazmat carriers transport hazardous materials within a state. Our database includes all three operation classes, which you can filter using the Operation Class field in the CSV.

What Data Is Available on These Carriers

Knowing how many trucking companies exist is useful context. But for B2B outreach, what matters is how much contact data is available. Here's what the USTruckingCompanies.com database includes for each of the 4,296,001 carrier records:

• Phone numbers — 4,156,538 records (96.8% coverage). Nearly every carrier in the database has a business phone number on file.
• Email addresses — 2,803,852 records (65.3% coverage). Over 2.8 million carriers have a business email address available for outreach.
• Cell phone numbers — 1,866,558 records (43.4% coverage). Direct mobile numbers for owner-operators and fleet managers.
• Fax numbers — 1,115,696 records (26.0% coverage).
• Officer names — Up to two officer/owner names per record, giving you the decision-maker's name for personalized outreach.
• Fleet data — Truck units, power units, bus units, total drivers, and interstate driver counts.
• Cargo type — What type of freight the carrier hauls (general freight, produce, chemicals, etc.).
• Full addresses — Both physical and mailing addresses with street, city, state, ZIP, and county.

All 26 data fields are included for every record. View the complete data field reference or browse a free sample of the database before purchasing.

Who Needs a List of Trucking Companies

A comprehensive list of trucking companies in the USA is used across a wide range of industries. Here are the most common use cases:

• Freight brokers use the database to build carrier networks, find hauling partners in specific lanes, and expand their capacity.
• Commercial trucking insurance agents use it to prospect owner-operators and fleet operators who need liability, cargo, and physical damage coverage.
• ELD and fleet management software companies target carriers by fleet size and annual mileage to sell compliance and efficiency tools.
• Factoring companies connect with new trucking clients who need cash flow solutions for freight invoices.
• Equipment dealers and truck parts suppliers target carriers based on fleet composition and geography.
• Truck dispatching services prospect owner-operators who need help finding loads and managing their authority.
• Fuel card and fleet fueling companies target carriers of all sizes for their discount fuel programs.
• Marketing agencies running B2B campaigns for transportation clients use the data as their lead generation foundation.
• Market researchers use the state-by-state breakdown to analyze industry size, geographic concentration, and competitive density.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many trucking companies are in the US in 2026?

There are over 4.29 million registered motor carrier entities in the United States as of 2026. This includes interstate carriers, intrastate carriers, private fleets, and owner-operators across all 50 states and Washington DC.

Which state has the most trucking companies?

California has the most trucking companies with 491,638 registered carriers, followed by Texas (364,086), Florida (279,854), Georgia (216,626), and New York (208,752).

How many trucking companies have email addresses available?

Of the 4.29 million carriers in the database, 2,803,852 (65.3%) have a verified email address on file. Phone number coverage is even higher at 96.8%, with 4,156,538 records including a business phone.

Where does the trucking company data come from?

The US trucking database is compiled from publicly available FMCSA government records, official motor carrier registration filings, and public business data sources. All information comes from legally accessible public records.

Can I download the trucking company list?

Yes. The complete database of all 4,296,001 trucking company records is available for instant download in CSV format for a one-time payment of $399. The CSV opens in Excel, Google Sheets, or any CRM platform. View pricing and purchase here.

What is the smallest state trucking database?

Washington DC has the fewest records at 2,817, followed by Hawaii (6,267), Vermont (8,238), and Alaska (9,300). Even the smallest states have thousands of actionable carrier records.