How many new reefer carriers get MC authority a month?
Reviewed
338 for-hire carriers that got FMCSA operating authority in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026 registered cargo that points to reefer equipment, 6% of all new carriers and about 15 per business day. California had the most.
Where they are
California led with 64 new reefer carriers in the last 30 days, ahead of Texas with 30.
| State | New carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| California | 64 | 18.9% |
| Texas | 30 | 8.9% |
| ON | 24 | 7.1% |
| Florida | 24 | 7.1% |
| Illinois | 20 | 5.9% |
| North Carolina | 13 | 3.8% |
| Indiana | 11 | 3.3% |
| Georgia | 11 | 3.3% |
| Virginia | 9 | 2.7% |
| Arizona | 9 | 2.7% |
Cities with the most new reefer carriers
Fresno had 14 of them, 4.1% of the national total for reefer.
| City | New carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno | 14 | 4.1% |
| Bakersfield | 11 | 3.3% |
| Brampton | 7 | 2.1% |
| Indianapolis | 6 | 1.8% |
| Sacramento | 3 | 0.9% |
| Miami | 3 | 0.9% |
| Louisville | 3 | 0.9% |
| Las Vegas | 3 | 0.9% |
How big they are
59.5% started with one truck, compared with 67% of all new carriers.
| Power units | Share |
|---|---|
| 1 truck | 59.5% |
| 2 to 5 trucks | 32.5% |
| 6 to 10 trucks | 3.3% |
| 11 to 50 trucks | 3.6% |
| 51 or more trucks | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 0.6% |
Who insures them
| Insurer on file | Share |
|---|---|
| United Financial Casualty Company | 8% |
| Universal Casualty Risk Retention Group, INC | 7.7% |
| GEICO Marine Insurance Company | 5.6% |
| Artisan & Truckers Casualty Company | 5.3% |
| Progressive Southeastern Insurance Company | 4.7% |
| Progressive Northern Insurance Company | 4.7% |
How new reefer carriers compare
Equipment is inferred from registered cargo classes, and one carrier can count toward several types; new carriers by equipment compares all 8 types.
- First-time authorities: 92.3% (all new carriers: 97.9%).
- Median wait from application to grant: 25 days (all new carriers: 25).
- Hazmat registered: 6.5% (all new carriers: 6.5%).
- The top three states hold 34.9% of new reefer carriers.
If you dispatch, factor or insure reefer carriers
About 15 new reefer carriers get authority on a typical business day, and the busiest day in the window had 71. Rookiefeed puts the equipment on every row of the 7am email, so you can call the reefer trucks you know how to keep loaded or insure: build a free list or see new trucking companies by state.
Questions
- Which state has the most new reefer carriers?
- California, with 64 of the 338 new reefer carriers in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026 (18.9%), going by the cargo classes they registered with FMCSA.
New reefer carriers in your 7am email
338 got authority in the last 30 days. Each row has the owner's contacts, trucks, equipment and insurer, so you can filter to reefer in your CRM.