Carriers based in Washington
Active motor carriers whose physical address, as registered with FMCSA, is in Washington. The census records each one as operating in interstate commerce or only within its state.
- active interstate carriers
- 13,635
- of those, authorized for hire
- 10,541
- active intrastate carriers
- 35,414
- carriers granted for-hire property authority, 2026-07-14 to 2026-10-11
- 245
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.
780 new USDOT numbers were registered to active carriers in Washington in the same 90 days (419 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 Washington, 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 | 6,759 | 50% | |
| 2 to 5 | 4,396 | 32% | |
| 6 to 10 | 1,025 | 8% | |
| 11 to 50 | 988 | 7% | |
| 51 to 100 | 164 | 1% | |
| 101 or more | 98 | under 1% | |
| None recorded | 205 | 2% | |
| All interstate | 13,635 | 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 Washington, 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
Washington's own rules for carriers inside the state
In Washington, a company that moves property other than household goods for pay inside the state is a common carrier. RCW 81.80.070 bars it from operating without first obtaining a permit from the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), and the UTC requires proof of safety fitness and minimum financial responsibility before it issues one. WAC 480-14-250 sets the liability and property damage filing: for vehicles of 10,000 pounds GVWR or more, $750,000 for nonhazardous property, $1,000,000 for oil and other listed hazardous materials, and $5,000,000 for the listed bulk and high-hazard loads; for vehicles under 10,000 pounds, $300,000 for nonhazardous property and $5,000,000 for the listed hazardous materials. The insurer must be authorized in Washington or be a surplus lines insurer. The standard proof is Form E; the UTC accepts a certificate or binder for up to 60 days. Household goods carriers also need cargo insurance of $10,000 for vehicles under 10,000 pounds and $20,000 above that. Under RCW 46.32.080, Washington requires a USDOT number for intrastate common carriers running vehicles of 16,001 pounds GVW or more or hauling hazardous materials at any weight, even where FMCSA's site says none is needed.
Source: Washington UTC; RCW 81.80.070; WAC 480-14-250; RCW 46.32.080, 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 Washington
Whoever you speak to, look them up on the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner'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 Washington license has been checked on the state's own records.
How to check an insurance agent's license in Washington, including OIC'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 Washington were granted new trucking authority in the last 90 days?
245 carriers whose physical address in the FMCSA census is in Washington 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 Washington?
13,635 active interstate carriers list a physical address in Washington, of which 10,541 are authorized for hire. Source: FMCSA Company Census az4n-8mr2, fetched 2026-10-12.