How to start a trucking company in Texas: pick your lanes first
In Texas, the forms you file depend on where your trucks will run. Texas-only, interstate, or both: each answer leads to a different authority, insurance minimum, and set of driver rules.
Written by Gabriel Gonzalez
Starting in Texas, in numbers
To start a trucking company in Texas, form the business, get a USDOT number in FMCSA's Motus system, then get the authority your lanes require: a TxDMV number for Texas-only trucks over 26,000 pounds, FMCSA operating authority for interstate for-hire freight, or both. Each agency needs its own insurance filing.
Most people asking how to start a trucking company in Texas want to know which forms to file. In Texas, that answer waits on a business decision: will your trucks stay in the state, cross its borders, or do both?
I have spent more than 22 years at Simplex, nearly 16 of them as COO, and I now lead revenue strategy. A Texas carrier's lane map sets its authority, its insurance minimum, and even its drivers' hours, so this guide starts there. For the general federal sequence, see our guide to starting a trucking company.
The full briefing, read aloud
8 chapters. Select one to jump to it.
Generated with AI text-to-speech from this article's key insights, in order, rather than reading it word for word. Chapter times come from a transcript of the audio. The article itself was written and reviewed by Gabriel Gonzalez.
Key takeaways
Your lanes pick the authority
Texas-only work needs a TxDMV number; interstate for-hire work needs FMCSA authority. If you do both kinds of work, you need both.
Interstate-only carriers skip TxDMV
Vehicles registered under UCR that run only in interstate or international commerce don't need a TxDMV number.
Register your USDOT number correctly
If every load stays in Texas, register as intrastate. An interstate designation brings UCR for every year since it was assigned.
Insurance counts only once it is filed
Your insurer files Form E with TxDMV before your number is issued, and the filing must stay active while you hold the certificate.
Texas-only drivers follow Texas rules
Intrastate drivers can drive 12 hours after 8 off and can start at 18, under Texas's exceptions to the federal rules.
Commercial inspections didn't go away
Texas ended safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles in 2025. Every commercial vehicle still needs one.
In this articleContents
Which authority does a Texas trucking company need?
It depends on where your loads go. TxDMV puts it plainly: if you do both kinds of work, you need both kinds of authority, and one doesn't cover the other.
| Your operation | Authority you need | Insurance filed with |
|---|---|---|
| Texas-only, trucks over 26,000 lb, for-hire or private | USDOT number registered as intrastate, plus a TxDMV number | TxDMV (Form E) |
| Interstate for-hire, federally regulated freight | USDOT number, FMCSA operating authority (MC number), and a BOC-3 | FMCSA |
| Texas-only and interstate loads | Both authorities | TxDMV and FMCSA |
Vehicles registered under UCR that operate exclusively in interstate or international commerce don't need a TxDMV number. A private carrier hauling only its own goods across state lines needs a USDOT number but not federal operating authority.
When does a Texas-only carrier need a TxDMV number?
You must register with TxDMV's Motor Carrier Division when you operate within Texas and you:
- Run a vehicle or combination with a gross weight, registered weight, or weight rating over 26,000 pounds
- Haul hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placards
- Run a farm vehicle of 48,000 pounds or more
- Run a vehicle designed to carry more than 15 passengers, including the driver
- Operate a commercial school bus
- Move household goods for compensation, at any weight
What about hotshot rigs?
Weight is where hotshot carriers get caught. Texas draws its line above 26,000 pounds, but the federal USDOT requirement starts at 10,001 pounds for interstate trucks. A lighter rig that never needs a TxDMV number for in-state runs can still need federal registration the first time it crosses into Oklahoma.
How to start a trucking company in Texas, step by step
Each step depends on the one before it, so the order matters more than speed.
Step 1: Write down your lanes, truck, and freight
Note whether any load will cross a state line, whether you'll haul for others or only your own goods, the truck's weight rating, and whether you'll carry hazmat, household goods, or passengers. Those answers decide every filing below.
Step 2: Form the business
A Texas LLC costs $300 to file with the Secretary of State on Form 205. It needs a registered agent and registered office in Texas, and the LLC can't serve as its own agent. Then get your EIN, and use one exact legal name and address on every filing that follows.
Step 3: Get a USDOT number in Motus
New carriers register in FMCSA's Motus system, launched May 19, 2026, with a Login.gov account and identity verification. If every load stays in Texas, register as intrastate. TxDMV won't start your application without a valid USDOT number.
Step 4: Apply for the authority your lanes need
For Texas-only work, apply in TxDMV's Motor Carrier Credentialing System, TxMCCS. TxDMV reviews new applications within 24 to 48 business hours, plus 7 business days if you have held, or are linked to, another authority.
For interstate for-hire freight, FMCSA charges $300 per authority type, with no refunds for mistaken applications, and a process agent files your BOC-3. Our trucking authority packages handle the federal and Texas filings together.
Step 5: Get insurance filed, then print the cab card
Once TxDMV approves the application, your insurer files Form E electronically. Buying the policy isn't enough. After the filing posts and you pay the fees, TxMCCS issues your TxDMV number and the insurance cab card, and a copy of that cab card, paper or electronic, must be in the truck.
TxDMV also requires you to certify that you comply with federal drug-testing rules and to name your testing consortium or facility.
Step 6: Inspect, register, and credential the truck
Every commercial vehicle in every Texas county still needs a passing safety inspection. For trucks over 26,000 pounds that run in two or more states, apportioned IRP plates generally come through TxDMV's TxFLEET system, and trucks of 55,000 pounds or more need proof of the federal heavy vehicle use tax. An IFTA license comes from the Texas Comptroller; our guide to the Texas IFTA license covers that application.
How much insurance does a Texas carrier need?
Most Texas-only trucks over 26,000 pounds need at least $500,000 in liability coverage, whether the carrier is private or for-hire. Interstate for-hire carriers of general freight need $750,000 under federal rules, so the interstate side of a mixed operation is held to the higher floor.
| Operation | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Texas-only, over 26,000 lb, private or for-hire | $500,000 | TxDMV |
| Texas household goods movers under 26,000 lb | $300,000 | TxDMV |
| Texas-only oil, hazardous materials, and hazardous waste (outside the highest-risk group) | $1,000,000 | TxDMV |
| Interstate for-hire, nonhazardous property, 10,001 lb or more | $750,000 | FMCSA |
Keep the filing active for as long as you hold the certificate. TxDMV ties authority to the carrier, not the truck, and can fine you for holding authority without insurance even while you're parked. If you stop running, cancel the certificate in TxMCCS first; you can re-register later.
What does it cost to start a trucking company in Texas?
The government fees are the small part. For one truck on a one-year TxDMV certificate, the application, vehicle, and Form E fees come to $210.
| Item | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Texas LLC (Form 205) | $300 | If you form an LLC |
| TxDMV application | $100 for one or two years; $5 for 7 days; $25 for 90 days | Texas-only work; paid once while the certificate stays active |
| TxDMV vehicle fee | $10 per truck a year, or $20 for two years | Each truck on the certificate |
| TxDMV Form E filing | $100 | Each liability filing |
| FMCSA operating authority | $300 per authority type | Interstate for-hire work |
| UCR, 0–2 vehicles | $55 for 2027 ($46 for 2026) | Interstate operations |
The 7-day and 90-day certificates can't be renewed, and household goods and hazmat carriers can't use them. All TxDMV fees are nonrefundable.
Your real budget is the truck, the insurance premium, and enough cash to run until customers pay. Our general guide shows how to plan that cash before the first load.
Which rules change when you stay inside Texas?
Texas applies the federal safety rules to intrastate trucks over 26,000 pounds, with exceptions that change scheduling and hiring. They are in the Texas Administrative Code, title 37, sections 4.11 and 4.12.
| Rule | Texas-only | Interstate |
|---|---|---|
| Driving limit | 12 hours after 8 consecutive hours off | 11 hours within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off |
| Weekly limit | 70 hours in 7 days; 34 hours off restarts it | 60 hours in 7 days, or 70 in 8 |
| Minimum driver age | 18, with a Texas CDL | 21 |
| New Entrant program | Not subject | 18 months of FMCSA monitoring |
Intrastate drivers still record duty status, on an ELD unless an exemption applies, and the medical exceptions don't excuse anyone from drug and alcohol testing. Our Texas commercial driver handbook guide covers the CDL side.
Once a carrier begins operating interstate, the federal rules apply to that work, and the carrier enters FMCSA's New Entrant program, as Texas DPS's motor carrier guide notes. Hire and schedule with that day in mind.
What keeps a Texas carrier legal after launch?
Authority isn't a one-time filing. Depending on your operation, these come back on a schedule:
- TxDMV renewal. Notices go out about 30 days before expiration, but you must renew even if one never arrives.
- Continuous Form E. When you switch insurers, make sure the new filing posts before the old one expires.
- MCS-150 update. Every two years, to keep the USDOT number active, even when nothing has changed.
- UCR. Every year before January 1 for interstate carriers. If your USDOT number is designated interstate, TxDMV says you owe UCR for every year since, even with no interstate trips.
- IFTA. Quarterly returns, due the last day of the month after each quarter ends.
- Inspection and registration. Texas no longer issues inspection stickers; your registration receipt or IRP cab card serves as proof of both.
Missing one renewal can stop a truck at the roadside. Put each date on a calendar with an owner, the same way you'd track a customer contract.
How Simplex helps you start a Texas carrier
We help match your filings to your lanes, then keep the renewals on schedule.
Authority, filed in order
Our trucking authority packages cover USDOT, FMCSA authority, and BOC-3, with your Texas filings aligned to the same legal name and address.
DOT compliance in Texas
Our Texas DOT compliance services cover driver files, drug and alcohol programs, and audit preparation for new carriers.
Insurance that gets filed
Our Texas commercial trucking insurance team can place coverage and confirm the filing reaches the right agency.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both an MC number and a TxDMV number in Texas?+
Does a hotshot trucking company need a TxDMV number?+
How do I get a DOT number in Texas?+
What is a cab card in Texas?+
How long does it take to get a TxDMV number?+
How do I start a tow truck business in Texas?+
Where this information comes from
The requirements below come from TxDMV, Texas DPS, the Texas Administrative Code, FMCSA, and the UCR Plan, checked on October 16, 2026.
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1
TxDMV — TxDMV Number
Who must register, the TxMCCS steps and review times, fees, cab cards, insurance minimums, and drug-testing certification.
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2
TxDMV — Becoming a Texas Motor Carrier (Intrastate)
USDOT first, both authorities for both kinds of work, Form E, and keeping the filing active.
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3
TxDMV — Motor Carrier Handbook (May 2025)
The interstate-only exemption, limits on 7- and 90-day certificates, and UCR for past years.
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4
37 Tex. Admin. Code § 4.12 (Cornell LII text)
Texas intrastate exceptions: 12- and 15-hour limits, 70 hours in 7 days, minimum age 18.
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5
Texas DPS — Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes
Commercial vehicles in every county still need a passing safety inspection.
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6
FMCSA — Move into Motus
Registering for a USDOT number and authority in Motus with identity verification.
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7
eCFR — 49 CFR 387.9
The $750,000 federal minimum for interstate for-hire carriers of nonhazardous property.
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8
UCR Plan — Fee Brackets
2027 UCR fees, effective October 1, 2026, and the 2026 fees.
Written by
Gabriel Gonzalez
Chief Revenue Officer, Simplex Group
Chief Revenue Officer at Simplex Group, with more than 22 years at the company, including nearly 16 years as Chief Operating Officer. His background combines revenue strategy with deep operational experience, giving him a strong perspective on how compliance, risk, permits, cash flow, and operational readiness affect a carrier's ability to grow profitably.
Published · Updated
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Decide the lanes, and the filings follow
A Texas carrier that knows where its trucks will run can file once, in the right order, with the right agency. One that guesses usually pays for authority it doesn't use, or runs without the one it needs.
If you want help matching your TxDMV and federal filings to the freight you plan to haul, talk to our team.