Question 1

Which state has the most trucking carriers?

Accepted Answer

Texas and California consistently have the highest number of FMCSA-registered motor carriers, followed by Florida, Illinois, and Georgia. These states benefit from large populations, major freight corridors, port infrastructure, and significant manufacturing and distribution activity.

Question 2

How is a carrier's state determined?

Accepted Answer

A carrier's state is based on the physical business address registered with FMCSA on their MCS-150 form. This is the carrier's principal place of business, which may differ from where their trucks actually operate.

Question 3

Why do some states have more carriers per capita than others?

Accepted Answer

States along major freight corridors (like I-10, I-35, and I-95) tend to have higher carrier density. Regulatory environment, fuel costs, proximity to ports and distribution centers, and state-level business incentives also influence where carriers choose to establish their business.

Question 4

Does geographic data include owner-operators?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The data includes all FMCSA-registered motor carriers regardless of fleet size, from single-truck owner-operators to large fleet carriers with thousands of power units.

Question 5

How current is the geographic breakdown?

Accepted Answer

Geographic data is derived from carrier registration records and updated monthly. When carriers update their MCS-150 filing with a new address, the change is reflected in subsequent data updates.

#	State	Carriers	% of Total	Power Units	Drivers	Avg Fleet
1	California	344,754	14.3%	9,280,003	1,465,628	35.60
2	Texas	213,933	8.9%	6,973,333	1,108,075	35.90
3	Florida	167,047	6.9%	7,956,356	1,033,554	52.70
4	New York	134,060	5.6%	5,973,028	853,763	47.30
5	Georgia	117,878	4.9%	7,654,385	637,026	71.50
6	Pennsylvania	87,677	3.6%	3,514,696	498,082	42.80
7	Michigan	80,624	3.4%	1,998,242	380,056	26.40
8	Minnesota	77,666	3.2%	2,815,376	433,825	38.40
9	Wisconsin	67,426	2.8%	1,853,057	321,493	29.10
10	North Carolina	61,945	2.6%	2,242,353	323,508	39.90
11	Illinois	61,884	2.6%	1,220,790	526,063	22.40
12	Ohio	57,660	2.4%	2,423,352	428,179	46.60
13	New Jersey	56,766	2.4%	2,844,854	241,677	55.20
14	Washington	54,099	2.3%	2,034,125	393,963	39.80
15	Colorado	52,248	2.2%	1,834,092	227,345	37.10
16	Indiana	51,128	2.1%	980,786	322,699	20.50
17	Maryland	49,203	2.0%	1,382,252	200,971	30.20
18	Kentucky	45,434	1.9%	1,118,025	198,311	25.80
19	Massachusetts	42,232	1.8%	4,346,121	662,289	109.50
20	Alabama	38,757	1.6%	931,254	218,894	25.80
21	Arizona	34,275	1.4%	1,887,621	271,961	60.40
22	Nebraska	30,609	1.3%	687,548	135,767	23.70
23	Oregon	30,257	1.3%	876,816	103,641	30.90
24	Missouri	30,059	1.3%	1,196,469	204,627	44.10
25	Tennessee	29,626	1.2%	1,432,950	563,094	54.80
26	Oklahoma	29,380	1.2%	1,206,670	142,923	43.30
27	Virginia	29,363	1.2%	974,196	157,839	37.00
28	Iowa	28,836	1.2%	556,551	140,107	20.30
29	South Carolina	28,288	1.2%	1,133,772	168,819	44.60
30	Utah	25,323	1.1%	1,120,139	121,967	47.00
31	Connecticut	23,188	1.0%	658,435	101,746	30.30
32	Kansas	20,738	0.9%	248,417	105,311	12.70
33	Mississippi	15,473	0.6%	478,332	65,895	34.70
34	Idaho	14,854	0.6%	269,207	59,764	19.30
35	Louisiana	14,609	0.6%	923,359	68,543	72.40
36	Maine	14,605	0.6%	226,084	80,203	15.90
37	Arkansas	13,026	0.5%	236,986	128,626	20.60
38	Nevada	12,593	0.5%	313,657	69,457	28.50
39	New Mexico	12,565	0.5%	48,208	44,040	4.00
40	West Virginia	12,120	0.5%	125,896	40,687	10.70
41	Montana	9,623	0.4%	297,177	32,976	32.50
42	Wyoming	7,390	0.3%	56,060	24,934	8.20
43	North Dakota	7,294	0.3%	43,519	41,609	6.40
44	South Dakota	7,047	0.3%	229,659	38,778	34.60
45	New Hampshire	6,846	0.3%	29,652	30,979	4.60
46	Alaska	6,621	0.3%	83,166	27,969	12.90
47	Delaware	5,952	0.3%	265,846	26,127	50.90
48	Hawaii	5,381	0.2%	1,134,480	25,246	225.70
49	Rhode Island	4,913	0.2%	20,884	23,234	4.50
50	Vermont	2,633	0.1%	12,050	12,074	4.80
51	District of Columbia	993	0.0%	10,388	9,427	12.30

Geography

Key Insights

Carriers by State

Market Concentration

Top 10 States by Carrier Count

All States

Frequently Asked Questions

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