Texas

Starting a hotshot, box truck or trucking company in Texas

Updated October 22, 2026

Whether you haul across state lines decides which registrations you need. Interstate for-hire work runs through FMCSA: a USDOT number, $300 MC authority and at least $750,000 in liability. Trucks or combinations over 26,000 pounds that stay in Texas need a TxDMV number at $100 plus $10 a vehicle and $500,000 in liability.

At a glance

USDOT number at FMCSA: $0
MC authority: $300 per authority type
TxDMV number, annual: $100 plus $10 a vehicle
UCR 2027, one or two trucks: $55

The order you file in matters, because several steps depend on the one before.

Decide where you'll run and check your weights

Your lanes and your weights decide which registrations you need.

Across state lines, for hire: FMCSA registrations, a federal liability filing and UCR.
Inside Texas only, a vehicle or combination over 26,000 pounds: a USDOT number marked intrastate and a TxDMV number. Placarded hazmat and household goods for hire need both at any weight.
Inside Texas only, 26,000 pounds or less, general freight: the TxDMV triggers don't apply while gross weight, registered weight and weight rating all stay at or under 26,000 pounds.

Count the freight's whole trip. If the load came into Texas from another state or country, or leaves for one after you hand it off, your in-state run is interstate.

Hotshots

Under the federal CDL rules, a pickup and trailer need a Class A license once the combination rating or actual weight reaches 26,001 pounds and the trailer is rated or weighs over 10,000 pounds. Go by the ratings and actual weights of the truck and trailer, even running empty. A 3500 badge doesn't settle it.

A combination over 26,000 pounds that runs interstate also needs IRP plates and an IFTA license. The Texas Comptroller says a pickup pulling a trailer over that line needs IFTA credentials or a fuel trip permit. Run the same combination only inside Texas and it needs a TxDMV number.

If the rig and load together measure wider than eight feet six inches or taller than 14 feet, the Texas oversize permit rules apply, with safety devices left out of the width.

Box trucks

A single truck rated and loaded at 26,000 pounds or less needs no CDL for nonhazardous freight under the federal rules. At 26,001 pounds it takes a Class B. For an in-state box truck, TxDMV uses the same 26,000-pound line, and any one of gross weight, registered weight or weight rating over 26,000 pounds means you need a TxDMV number.

File in this order

USDOT number. Apply in Motus, FMCSA's registration system. FMCSA charges nothing, and its Motus page (opens in a new tab) has the steps. Register it as intrastate if you'll stay in Texas, and see Texas DOT number.
MC authority, if you'll haul for hire across state lines. It's $300 per authority type and nonrefundable, and MC number has the steps. FMCSA publishes your application, and protests are allowed for 10 days after publication. Your insurer has to file your liability coverage within 20 days of publication.

Pending isn't active, so don't haul until your authority shows active.
BOC-3. You hire a process agent to file it, at published prices of $20 one-time to $125 a year in October 2026.
TxDMV number, if a Texas trigger applies. It's $100 for an annual certificate, $10 a vehicle and $100 for the Form E your insurer files. You apply in TxMCCS once you have the USDOT number, and Texas intrastate authority has the steps.

Leave time between the two steps. The TxMCCS sign-in page warns that FMCSA and Motus validation problems can block newly issued USDOT numbers.
Plates and fuel tax. Interstate trucks over 26,000 pounds, combinations over 26,000 pounds and trucks with three or more axles need apportioned plates through TxFLEET and an IFTA license from the Comptroller. Trucks that stay in Texas use ordinary Texas registration.
UCR, for interstate carriers. For 2027 it's $55 for one or two trucks and $167 for three to five, due by December 31, 2026. Registration opened October 1, 2026, at ucr.gov (opens in a new tab).
Driver files. Interstate drivers at 10,001 pounds need a DOT medical certificate whether or not they hold a CDL. It lasts up to 24 months. If your operation needs a CDL, you also need a drug and alcohol testing program.

FMCSA schedules the new entrant safety audit within 12 months after you start running, and watches new carriers for 18 months. Keep driver, hours, maintenance and insurance records from day one. In Texas, TxDMV points carriers to DPS for driver licensing and motor carrier safety audits.

Ready for Loads isn't affiliated with FMCSA, TxDMV or the Texas Comptroller. You can file the USDOT number, MC authority, TxDMV number, plates, IFTA and UCR directly with the agency that issues them.

What it costs to start in Texas

Prices as of October 2026. Government fees are exact. Supplier and equipment figures are published prices or guide ranges.

Item	Cost	Basis
USDOT number	$0	FMCSA
MC authority	$300	Per authority type
BOC-3	$20 one-time to $125 a year	Three published supplier prices
UCR 2027	$55	One or two trucks
TxDMV number, annual	$100 plus $10 a vehicle	Only if a Texas trigger applies
Form E filing	$100	TxDMV fee, filed by your insurer
IFTA license and decals	$0	Texas Comptroller
Texas registration, 26,000 to 40,000 lb	$340 a year	Base fee for a single truck on ordinary registration. County fees come on top, and an eligible diesel truck adds 11%
DOT physical	$89 to $150	Published clinic prices
Drug and alcohol consortium	$85 to $170 a year	First driver, CDL operations
Used 26-ft box truck	$25,000 to $90,000 and up	Guide ranges by mileage
Used diesel 3500-class dually	$35,000 to $60,000	Guide range for trucks three to six years old
Used 40-ft gooseneck	$8,000 to $15,000	Guide range
Load board	$42 to $339 a month per user	Truckstop and DAT plans
Diesel	$5.809 a gallon	Gulf Coast average, week of October 12, 2026

Price your own startup. The cost estimator turns published fees and prices into a first-year budget and a cost per mile for your truck, truck count and miles. Pick "Based in Texas" for Texas IFTA and Gulf Coast diesel. TxDMV fees, Texas registration and IRP plates aren't in it, so add those from the table above. Cost estimator

Insurance for a new Texas carrier

Texas requires $500,000 for in-state trucks over 26,000 pounds. Interstate general freight needs $750,000. Brokers set the working number: 20 of the 21 brokers that publish a liability minimum on their own pages ask for $1 million or more, and nearly all want at least $100,000 in cargo.

Texas owners on trucking forums have posted these figures. Read each as one owner's report, since the posts give no limits or equipment and two don't say what period the figure covers:

$56,000 for three trucks
$6,000 down, then $3,000 a month for 11 months, in 2024
quotes of $33,000 and $42,000 from two insurers

Ask every agent to quote the same limits when you shop, since these posts don't give theirs. The Texas truck insurance page covers filings and what brokers check.

Check your coverage before you book. The load-ready check shows which brokers your limits clear and which coverage you're missing. Load-ready check

For getting freight in the first months, see getting loads with new authority.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to start a trucking company in Texas?

For an interstate carrier, the USDOT number is free, MC authority is $300 per authority type and UCR is $55 for one or two trucks in 2027. A BOC-3 adds $20 one-time to $125 a year, and trucks that meet a Texas trigger add a TxDMV number at $100 plus $10 a vehicle and a $100 Form E filing.

Do I need a CDL for a hotshot in Texas?

Under the federal CDL rules, you need a Class A once the combination rating or actual weight reaches 26,001 pounds and the trailer is rated or weighs over 10,000 pounds. A 3500 badge doesn't settle it, so go by the ratings and actual weights.

Do I need MC authority to haul only in Texas?

MC authority is for hauling for hire across state lines. A truck or combination over 26,000 pounds that stays in Texas needs a USDOT number marked intrastate and a TxDMV number. One catch: a load that started or ends outside Texas or the United States is interstate commerce even if your haul stays in Texas.

What insurance does a new Texas trucking company need?

Texas requires $500,000 in liability for in-state trucks over 26,000 pounds, and interstate general freight needs $750,000. For broker loads, plan on $1 million, since 20 of the 21 brokers that publish a liability minimum on their own pages ask for that or more.