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Houston trucking companies follow FMCSA safety rules for interstate work and the Texas version of those rules for trucks that stay in the state.
Our Houston office helps carriers set up and keep the records both require, from driver files and drug testing to hours of service and vehicle inspections, so they are ready for a DOT audit.
The federal rules apply when you run a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Under 49 CFR 390.5T, that is a vehicle of 10,001 pounds or more, one that carries more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for pay or more than 15 without pay, or one hauling hazardous materials in placarded amounts.
Those carriers need a USDOT number, and FMCSA lists Texas among the states that also require one from intrastate commercial vehicle registrants. The number must be displayed on your trucks, as our guide on how to mark a commercial motor vehicle explains.
Staying inside Harris County does not make a load intrastate. The federal definition of interstate commerce includes transportation between two places in one state “as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State or the United States.” An import container moving from the Bayport terminal to a warehouse in Katy can fall under the federal rules even though the truck never leaves the metro area.
A carrier that runs only in Texas registers with TxDMV when it operates a vehicle over 26,000 pounds, hauls placarded hazmat, carries more than 15 passengers, or moves household goods for pay. It needs a USDOT number registered as intrastate first, and it must certify that it follows FMCSA drug-testing rules.
For those trucks, Texas DPS applies the federal safety rules with a few exceptions, set in 37 TAC 4.12:
| Rule | Interstate (federal) | Texas only |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum driver age | 21 | 18, with a Texas CDL |
| Daily driving limit | 11 hours within a 14-hour window, after 10 hours off | 12 hours, and none after 15 hours on duty, after 8 hours off |
| Weekly on-duty limit | 60 hours in 7 days, or 70 in 8 days if the carrier runs every day | 70 hours in 7 days, with a 34-hour restart |
Texas-only drivers also need an ELD unless an exemption applies. Our Texas DOT compliance page covers the state rules in full, and our Texas commercial driver handbook guide explains the state CDL tests.
The port and the petrochemical industry. Much of Houston’s truck freight is short-haul work tied to the Ship Channel, and the port adds its own requirements on top of FMCSA’s.
Before you pull a container, Port Houston’s terminal gate process expects current UIIA information and an approved SCAC code, every truck registered in LYNX, a valid TWIC card for every driver, and approval for hazardous cargo before it enters the terminal. Our Houston commercial truck insurance page explains the UIIA coverage behind that gate check.
TxDMV issues an annual Intermodal Shipping Container Port Permit for containers moved within 30 miles of Bayport, Barbours Cut, the Port of Houston at IH 610, or Freeport. It allows up to 93,000 pounds on six axles or 100,000 pounds on seven, with set axle spacing. The permit does not cover the interstate highway system or hazardous materials.
Yes. Under 49 CFR 396.17, every commercial motor vehicle, including each trailer in a combination, must pass an inspection at least once every 12 months, with proof of it carried on the vehicle. Intermodal equipment providers must inspect the chassis they interchange to you.
You can do the inspection yourself or hire a garage, truck stop, or similar business with facilities for commercial vehicle inspections. Either way, the inspector must be qualified through a federal or state training program or at least a year of relevant training or experience, and you keep proof of that qualification (49 CFR 396.19). Check those credentials before you hire a mobile inspector.
Texas adds its own check. Safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles ended on January 1, 2025, but Texas DPS still requires every commercial vehicle, in every county, to pass a state safety inspection.
Five sets of records. A new carrier is monitored for 18 months, and FMCSA runs a safety audit once it has operated long enough to have records to review, generally at least 3 months (49 CFR 385.307). The audit covers:
Some violations fail the audit on their own. 49 CFR 385.321 lists 16, including having no drug and alcohol testing program, operating without the required insurance, and knowingly using a driver without a valid CDL. If you fail, you have 60 days to fix the problems, or 45 days if you carry passengers or placarded hazmat, before your registration is revoked (49 CFR 385.319).
Our DOT safety compliance page explains what each program requires, and our audit guidance and support service prepares you and stays with you through the audit.
We work from our office at 6633 Portwest Dr, Suite 110, and support carriers across the country. Our compliance programs come in three levels:
Across the programs, the work ranges from driver qualification file management and CSA monitoring to mock audits and hours-of-service management. We also handle trucking permits, IFTA, UCR, and commercial truck insurance, so your authority, filings, and coverage stay in step.
Use the form below to tell us about your company. Include your USDOT number, or let us know you don’t have one yet, and our team will follow up with the right program.
Yes. Our Houston office is at 6633 Portwest Dr, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77024. We also have offices in Miami, Rancho Cucamonga, and Richardson, near Dallas.
They keep a carrier’s FMCSA records in order: driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, and vehicle maintenance and inspections. Ours also include CSA monitoring, mock audits, and support during a DOT audit.
Federal rules let a carrier use an outside business for the annual inspection if its inspectors meet the qualifications in 49 CFR 396.19 and it has suitable facilities. Keep proof of the inspector’s qualifications. Texas also requires a state safety inspection for every commercial vehicle.
Yes, if they need a TxDMV certificate, for example to run trucks over 26,000 pounds or haul placarded hazmat. TxDMV requires a USDOT number registered as intrastate before you apply.
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on October 5, 2026.