---
title: "How many new trucking companies start each month?"
url: "https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-many-new-trucking-companies"
updated: "2026-10-03"
---

# How many new trucking companies start each month?

> FMCSA granted for-hire operating authority to 5,591 trucking companies in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, about 237 per business day. Another 8,044 carriers filed new applications in the same window, and 375 freight brokers were granted authority. At the current 30-day pace, that's roughly 68,024 new carriers a year.

## The 30-day numbers

Rookiefeed analysis for September 20, 2026 through October 19, 2026. A "new trucking company" here is a motor carrier whose for-hire [operating authority](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/operating-authority) (its [MC number](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/mc-number)) was granted in the window.

| Measure | Count |
| --- | --- |
| Carriers granted for-hire authority | 5,591 |
| Average per business day | 237 |
| Busiest single day | 832 (October 9, 2026) |
| Granted on the latest day | 96 (October 19, 2026) |
| New carrier applications filed | 8,044 |
| Freight brokers granted authority | 375 |
| First-time authorities | 97.9% |
| Annualized carriers, at the current 30-day pace | 68,024 |

## Per day, and why weekends look empty

FMCSA processes grants on business days, so the per-day figure averages weekdays only. Saturdays and Sundays usually show few or no grants.

The busiest day in the window was October 9, 2026, with 832 grants. Single days swing, so the 30-day average is the better planning number.

## Grants, applications and USDOT numbers aren't the same count

- A grant means the carrier's authority is active: insurance ([BMC-91](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/bmc-91)/91X) and [process agent](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/process-agent) ([BOC-3](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/boc-3)) filings are on record and it can haul for hire across state lines. That's the count above.
- An application (FMCSA's "Initial Status") means the carrier filed and is waiting. Not every application becomes a grant. CarrierOk research reported by FreightWaves found only about 30% of filed applications were published in April 2025, down from a historical 60% to 65%, after FMCSA added identity verification.
- A new [USDOT number](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/usdot-number) is a much bigger count. It includes private fleets, intrastate carriers and companies that never apply for for-hire authority, so it overstates how many new for-hire trucking businesses start.
- Brokers get their own authority and are counted separately. They arrange freight; they don't haul it.

## Where the new companies are

Texas had the most new carriers in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, with 642. The full ranking is in [states with the most new trucking companies](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-companies), and each state has its own page on the [state index](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-companies).

How big they are is in [how big are new trucking companies](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-big-are-new-trucking-companies). The [stats page](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-authority-stats) has the same numbers with the current date.

## Applications are the leading indicator

8,044 carriers filed new applications in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, against 5,591 grants. The two counts aren't the same carriers: today's grants applied weeks ago, and many of today's applications won't be granted for weeks, if ever.

The median first-time carrier waited 25 calendar days from application to grant in the same window, so a jump in applications shows up in grants about that much later. See [how long MC authority takes](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-long-does-mc-authority-take).

## What the volume means for a sales team

- Nationally, about 237 new carriers a business day is more than one rep can call well. Filtering by state, fleet size and first-time authority gets it down to a list you can actually work.
- 97.9% of new carriers were first-time authorities, with no prior factor, agent or dispatcher from an earlier run. See [first-time vs returning authority](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/first-time-vs-returning-authority).
- 99.8% had an email on file, so a same-day email can reach far more of them than phone calls alone.
- New carriers report a flood of calls in their first week. Volume is worth knowing, but knowing who each carrier is matters more than reaching all of them. See [why new carriers get so many calls](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/why-new-carriers-get-so-many-calls).

## How we count

- The window is the 30 calendar days ending on the newest grant date we have, not today, so a quiet weekend doesn't shrink the totals.
- Each motor carrier grant counts once. Broker and freight forwarder authorities are excluded from the carrier count; brokers are reported separately.
- A carrier whose docket held authority before and was granted again counts as a returning authority, not a first-time one, but it's still in the total.
- Applications are FMCSA "Initial Status" events for motor carrier authority in the same window.
- Everything is recomputed every morning as new grants come in. The [stats page](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-authority-stats) shows the same figures with the date they cover.

## How to read the annualized number

The yearly figure multiplies the last 30 days by 365/30. It's a pace, not a forecast. New-authority volume moves with freight rates, the season and FMCSA's processing speed, and FMCSA changed systems when it moved registration to [Motus](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/motus) on May 14, 2026. Use the 30-day count to plan and recheck it monthly.

## Getting each day's new companies

Rookiefeed emails every carrier FMCSA granted authority the day before, by 7am Central, with the owner's name, phone, email, fleet size, equipment and insurer. New applications and brokers are optional filters. Rookiefeed is $59 a month for one state once a week, $149 for one state every day, $299 for up to 8 states and $599 for every state, and you can cancel any time.

See real rows from your states with the [free list builder](https://rookiefeed.com/list-builder).

## Questions

### How many new trucking companies are there per day?

About 237 per business day in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, counting carriers FMCSA granted for-hire operating authority. Weekends show few or none because FMCSA processes grants on business days.

### How many new trucking companies start each year?

At the current 30-day pace, about 68,024 carriers a year get new for-hire authority. That multiplies the last 30 days by 365/30, so it moves with the season, freight rates and FMCSA's processing speed. Check the live 30-day count for the current figure.

### Is a new USDOT number the same as a new trucking company?

Not for most sellers. A USDOT number is issued to any registered commercial vehicle operator, including private and intrastate fleets. A for-hire trucking company that hauls freight across state lines for pay also needs operating authority, its MC number, which is what the grant count measures.

## Sources

- [FreightWaves: authority filed-to-published conversion (CarrierOk research)](https://www.freightwaves.com/?p=536455)
- [FMCSA: Motus changes to FMCSA registrations (fact sheet)](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2026-05/Motus%20Changes%20to%20FMCSA%20Registrations.pdf)