Carrier Geography Analysis

Analysis

· as of May 28, 2026

The most counterintuitive pattern in this dataset is the disconnect between carrier count and fleet concentration: Georgia, ranked 5th nationally by carrier count at 134,322, holds more total power units (7,209,572) than Texas (7,154,764), which has nearly twice as many carriers at 247,784. This divergence points to a fundamentally different carrier composition in Georgia, where the average fleet size of 58.7 power units per carrier is roughly 86% larger than Texas's 31.5. Florida presents a similar pattern, with 189,188 carriers operating 8,311,763 total power units at an average of 48.4 units per carrier, placing it second nationally in total power units despite being third in carrier count. Massachusetts is the most extreme case of this fleet-concentration dynamic: 47,886 carriers hold 4,415,161 power units, yielding an average fleet size of 98.2 power units per carrier, the highest among major US states. That average is more than four times the national profile suggested by states like Iowa (19.0 average power units) or Indiana (24.0). The concentration of large-fleet operators in Georgia, Florida, and Massachusetts is consistent with those states hosting logistics hubs, intermodal facilities, and large regional carriers that drive up average equipment counts without proportionally inflating carrier registrations. California's dominance in raw carrier count, at 13.8% of the national total of 2,712,220 registered carriers, likely reflects the state's combination of port activity, a large owner-operator population, and a dense consumer goods economy, though the data alone cannot confirm causation. The dataset also includes 115 jurisdiction codes, encompassing Canadian provinces such as Ontario (10,764 carriers) and British Columbia (3,846 carriers), as well as entries from Mexico and smaller international codes, which suggests cross-border operating authority registrations are embedded in these totals and should be accounted for in any state-level market sizing exercise. Across the trailing data available through May 2026, the overall registered carrier base of 2,712,220 reflects a market that has expanded substantially over the prior decade, with owner-operators and small fleets constituting the structural majority in most states.