Carriers based in Texas
Active motor carriers whose physical address, as registered with FMCSA, is in Texas. The census records each one as operating in interstate commerce or only within its state.
- active interstate carriers
- 52,674
- of those, authorized for hire
- 46,694
- active intrastate carriers
- 127,344
- carriers granted for-hire property authority, 2026-07-14 to 2026-10-11
- 1,644
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.
4,923 new USDOT numbers were registered to active carriers in Texas in the same 90 days (2,610 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 Texas, 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 | 27,341 | 52% | |
| 2 to 5 | 15,718 | 30% | |
| 6 to 10 | 3,450 | 7% | |
| 11 to 50 | 3,525 | 7% | |
| 51 to 100 | 606 | 1% | |
| 101 or more | 555 | 1% | |
| None recorded | 1,479 | 3% | |
| All interstate | 52,674 | 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 Texas, 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
Texas intrastate carriers: TxDMV registration and insurance filing
A carrier that hauls only within Texas registers with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Motor Carrier Division as well as FMCSA. Transportation Code §643.051 bars a motor carrier from operating a commercial motor vehicle on a Texas road or highway unless it registers with the department, and requires registration to haul household goods for compensation regardless of vehicle size. TxDMV requires registration when a vehicle or combination exceeds 26,000 pounds gross weight, registered weight or gross-weight rating, when hazardous materials are hauled in placarded quantities, and for vehicles designed to carry more than 15 passengers, including the driver. A new carrier first needs a USDOT number registered as INTRAstate, then applies in TxMCCS; TxDMV issues the certificate number only after the insurer files proof electronically (Form E for liability, Forms H & I for cargo) and fees are paid. Under Transportation Code §643.101 TxDMV sets the amounts: $500,000 for private or for-hire carriers over 26,000 pounds, $300,000 for household goods carriers under 26,000 pounds, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazardous materials, depending on the cargo. Failing to keep proof of insurance on file can bring administrative penalties or revocation of the certificate.
Source: TxDMV (TxDMV Number page) and Texas Transportation Code ch. 643, 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 Texas
Whoever you speak to, look them up on the Texas 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 Texas license has been checked on the state's own records.
How to check an insurance agent's license in Texas, including TDI's own search.
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 Texas were granted new trucking authority in the last 90 days?
1,644 carriers whose physical address in the FMCSA census is in Texas 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 Texas?
52,674 active interstate carriers list a physical address in Texas, of which 46,694 are authorized for hire. Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2, fetched 2026-10-12.