Start and run a trucking company, state by state.
Haul Handbook is the free, neutral compliance reference for new and small carriers: every federal filing in order, plus the state-level authority, registration, fuel tax, and permit rules, with the official source behind each fact.
State guides live now: Alabama · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Kentucky · Louisiana · Michigan · Missouri · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Virginia · Washington · Wisconsin
Live in 25 states, expanding across the map
Trucking rules are set federally, then layered state by state. A state goes live here only after its data is verified against official state and federal sources, so the map fills in one state at a time. The other 26 jurisdictions are in research now.
- AlabamaLive
- CaliforniaLive
- ColoradoLive
- FloridaLive
- GeorgiaLive
- IllinoisLive
- IndianaLive
- KentuckyLive
- LouisianaLive
- MichiganLive
- MissouriLive
- New JerseyLive
- New MexicoLive
- New YorkLive
- North CarolinaLive
- OhioLive
- OklahomaLive
- OregonLive
- PennsylvaniaLive
- South CarolinaLive
- TennesseeLive
- TexasLive
- VirginiaLive
- WashingtonLive
- WisconsinLive
The other 26 jurisdictions are in research and go live as their data is verified.
Current-period numbers, straight from the data store
The rates below render from the same generated, source-checked store as every table on the site. When an agency publishes new numbers, the whole site updates at once.
IFTA fuel tax, 3Q 2026
Per-gallon rates for every IFTA jurisdiction, on the 3Q 2026 matrix. Alabama special diesel is currently $0.3100 per gallon.
All 3Q 2026 ratesUCR fees, 2026 registration year
Unified Carrier Registration fees by fleet size for 2026. A fleet of 0-2 power units pays $46.00.
Every 2026 bracketRefreshed on the agency cycle
IFTA rates roll over every quarter and UCR fees every registration year. We reload the store from the issuing agency each cycle, and every figure keeps its source link.
How we source dataStart here
Two questions decide everything else: what do you have to file, and what will it cost.
How to get your own trucking authority
Every federal step from USDOT number to active MC authority, in order, with the official source behind each one.
How much it costs to start a trucking company
The real startup cost line items: federal filings, insurance, UCR, and the heavy vehicle use tax, each tied to its source.
Live state guides
Everything a carrier deals with at the state level, one verified state at a time.
Federal requirements, explained
Plain-English guides to each federal filing and deadline, in the order a new carrier meets them.
- USDOT number
- MC number
- Operating authority vs USDOT number
- BOC-3 process agent filing
- Insurance filings (BMC-91, BMC-34)
- UCR registration
- Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax
- New entrant safety audit
- Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
- MCS-150 biennial update
- CDL vs non-CDL trucking
- Freight broker authority
- How long authority takes
State-by-state reference tables
Every US jurisdiction in one table per topic, each cell tied to an official source.
Intrastate authority by state
Which states require in-state operating authority, and from which agency.
State DOT number requirements
Where a state DOT number is required even for intrastate carriers.
IRP registration by state
Apportioned plates: each state IRP office, fees, and how to apply.
IFTA fuel tax rates by state
The current per-gallon fuel tax rate for every IFTA jurisdiction.
UCR fees by fleet size
Unified Carrier Registration fees by fleet size for the current year.
Weight-distance tax states
The states that tax by the mile, and what each one requires.
Trucking permits by state
Oversize permit costs by state
Single-trip oversize permit costs and legal limits, state by state.
Best states to start a trucking company
Compare startup costs and requirements across every jurisdiction.
Calculators and lookups
Free tools built on the same sourced figures as the tables, every number cited.
Trucking startup cost calculator
Add up the real cost of launching your authority, line by line.
IFTA calculator
Estimate your quarterly IFTA fuel tax from miles and gallons.
IFTA tax rates
Look up the current IFTA rate for any jurisdiction and fuel type.
Oversize permit cost estimator
Price the permits for an oversize load across your route.
Weight-distance tax calculator
Estimate mileage tax for the weight-distance states.
Guides by carrier type
The same compliance spine, tailored to how you actually plan to run.
Hotshot trucking
Authority, insurance, and equipment for hotshot operators.
Box truck business
Getting paid with a box truck, with or without a CDL.
Dump truck business
Local and regional dump truck work, permits included.
Car hauler authority
What it takes to haul vehicles for hire.
Reefer trucking
Refrigerated freight and the rules that come with it.
Hazmat trucking
The extra registrations hazmat loads require.
Freight broker authority
Brokering freight instead of hauling it.
Tow truck business
Starting a towing operation, state rules and all.
Cargo van business
How this site is sourced and who runs it
Who is behind this
Every page is compiled and reviewed by Evan Reid, founder of Haul Handbook, from federal regulations and official state agency publications. He is not an attorney or a financial advisor, and nothing on this site is legal or financial advice.
Rates and fees reload from their official sources on each agency cycle: IFTA quarterly, UCR and state fees on their own schedules. Anything we cannot confirm is marked as unconfirmed, never invented.
Get your authority rolling
The full federal checklist, your state's requirements, and the real startup numbers, sourced and free.