Carriers based in Illinois
Active motor carriers whose physical address, as registered with FMCSA, is in Illinois. The census records each one as operating in interstate commerce or only within its state.
- active interstate carriers
- 34,120
- of those, authorized for hire
- 26,455
- active intrastate carriers
- 16,356
- carriers granted for-hire property authority, 2026-07-14 to 2026-10-11
- 892
Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2 and Motus AuthHist (All With History) yu5v-wbh6, fetched 2026-10-12. Carriers are active census entities registered as carriers, counted by physical state. The authority figure counts carriers, once each by USDOT number, that were granted for-hire property authority (except household goods) in the Motus history, matched to the census.
1,489 new USDOT numbers were registered to active carriers in Illinois in the same 90 days (1,275 interstate). A USDOT number is not an operating authority: the date is when the number was issued, and many never haul for hire.
Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2, add_date, fetched 2026-10-12.
Interstate carriers by fleet size
Active interstate carriers in Illinois, by the number of power units on their census record, and each band's share of all of them.
| Power units | Carriers | Share | Share, drawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14,698 | 43% | |
| 2 to 5 | 11,340 | 33% | |
| 6 to 10 | 2,820 | 8% | |
| 11 to 50 | 3,339 | 10% | |
| 51 to 100 | 655 | 2% | |
| 101 or more | 497 | 1% | |
| None recorded | 771 | 2% | |
| All interstate | 34,120 | 100% |
Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2, fetched 2026-10-12. "None recorded" is a record with no power units, or none entered. Shares are of all active interstate carriers in Illinois, rounded to the nearest whole percent, and the bars are drawn to the same scale.
Federal minimum liability
The federal rules set the least public liability a motor carrier must have. Each row gives the regulation's amount and its own description of what the row covers; they are a floor set by law, not a view on what any carrier should buy.
$750,000
Property (nonhazardous)
For-hire, interstate or foreign commerce, 10,001 lb GVWR or more. 49 CFR 387.9
$1,000,000
Oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101; hazardous waste, hazardous materials and hazardous substances defined in 49 CFR 171.8 and listed in 49 CFR 172.101, but not mentioned in the $5,000,000 rows
For-hire and private, interstate or foreign commerce in any quantity, or intrastate in bulk, 10,001 lb GVWR or more. 49 CFR 387.9
$5,000,000
Hazardous substances, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, in cargo tanks, portable tanks or hopper-type vehicles with capacities over 3,500 water gallons; or in bulk Division 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 materials, Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A or Division 6.1 Packing Group I Hazard Zone A material; in bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material, as defined in 49 CFR 173.403
For-hire and private, interstate, foreign or intrastate commerce, 10,001 lb GVWR or more. 49 CFR 387.9
$5,000,000
Any quantity of Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material; any quantity of a Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A or Division 6.1 Packing Group I Hazard Zone A material; or highway route controlled quantities of a Class 7 material, as defined in 49 CFR 173.403
For-hire and private, interstate or foreign commerce, under 10,001 lb GVWR. 49 CFR 387.9
$300,000
Property (non-hazardous)
For-hire carrier with FMCSA authority, fleet of vehicles all under 10,001 lb GVWR. 49 CFR 387.303
Illinois intrastate carriers: the ICC Public Carrier Certificate
A carrier hauling property other than household goods for hire on Illinois public roads, entirely within the state, must hold a Public Carrier Certificate from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) under the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law (625 ILCS 5/18c-4101) and 92 Ill. Adm. Code Chapter III. FMCSA operating authority does not replace it. The insurer files proof of cover: Form E for liability and property damage and Form H for cargo, each from a company authorized to provide insurance in Illinois. A carrier that never hauls cargo worth more than $5,000, and tells each shipper so in writing, may file a Cargo Insurance Waiver Affidavit instead (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1425.40(c)). The ICC application lists $750,000 of liability and property damage cover for non-hazardous property in vehicles over 10,000 pounds GVWR, $300,000 for lighter vehicles carrying ordinary commodities, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazardous loads. Cargo cover is $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 at any one time. Intrastate-only carriers buy a cab card for each vehicle every year and show the carrier name and ILL. C. C. number on both sides of the cab. The certificate can be suspended when proof of continuous insurance is not on file (625 ILCS 5/18c-1704(6)(a)).
Source: Illinois Commerce Commission: Public Carrier Certificate page, form PCC-1, Motor Carriers of Property FAQ; 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1425, checked 2026-09-26 (AI-assisted research checked against the cited source; approved for publication by the site operator on 2026-09-28).
Check the agent's license in Illinois
Whoever you speak to, look them up on the Illinois Department of Insurance's own search by name or NPN, and read the lines of authority and the expiration date. InsuranceAgentPick only puts an agent on a list once their Illinois license has been checked on the state's own records.
How to check an insurance agent's license in Illinois.
Questions
What is the federal minimum liability for general freight?
$750,000 for a for-hire carrier hauling nonhazardous property in interstate or foreign commerce with vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more, under 49 CFR 387.9. Source: eCFR, 49 CFR 387.9, read 2026-09-26.
How many carriers in Illinois were granted new trucking authority in the last 90 days?
892 carriers whose physical address in the FMCSA census is in Illinois were granted for-hire property authority (except household goods) between 2026-07-14 and 2026-10-11, each counted once however many grants it had. Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2 and Motus AuthHist (All With History) yu5v-wbh6, fetched 2026-10-12.
How many interstate motor carriers are based in Illinois?
34,120 active interstate carriers list a physical address in Illinois, of which 26,455 are authorized for hire. Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2, fetched 2026-10-12.