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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Massachusetts

Massachusetts issues no operating authority for general freight, but it does require a USDOT number on intrastate trucks over the federal weight line, placarded hazmat vehicles and larger passenger vehicles. The work splits four ways: the RMV for the USDOT rule, IRP and CDLs, the Department of Revenue for IFTA, MassDOT for oversize permits, and the DPU for movers.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 27, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Not required
USDOT number
Required first

State agency Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Transportation Oversight Division (household goods, involuntary towing and passenger authority); Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (intrastate USDOT number marking rule, 540 CMR 2.22)

Credential USDOT number for intrastate CMVs (540 CMR 2.22), plus DPU operating authority for household goods movers, involuntary tows and passenger carriers

What these terms cover

USDOT number: For an intrastate-only freight carrier the USDOT number is itself the Massachusetts requirement, obtained directly from FMCSA; whether a company operates intrastate or interstate, it must obtain the number online at the FMCSA website.

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Sep 27, 2026.How we verify

Everything Massachusetts requires, in order

Each step is its own page, with the Massachusetts figures read from the agency that publishes them.

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Massachusetts sequence below: get your own authority, USDOT number, Form 2290, and what it all costs.

Before you file

  1. Start a trucking companyFederal steps plus this state, in order
  2. DOT numberState USDOT triggers and carrier numbers
  3. CDLLicense fees, testing, endorsements

State credentials

  1. Intrastate authorityState operating authority: rule, agency, fee
  2. Insurance requirementsState liability minimums and insurer filings

Plates, fuel tax and trip permits

  1. IRP registrationApportioned plates and cab cards
  2. IFTAFuel tax license, decals, filing
  3. Trip and fuel permitsTemporary IRP and IFTA permits

Permits and state taxes

  1. Trucking permitsEvery state permit a carrier may need
  2. Oversize permitsLegal limits, permit fees, escorts
  3. Diesel emissionsAnnual smoke opacity test and penalties

How Massachusetts organizes trucking compliance

Four offices share the job, and each owns a different credential. The Registry of Motor Vehicles writes the intrastate USDOT marking rule, runs apportioned registration from its IRP Section, and licenses commercial drivers. The Department of Revenue licenses IFTA carriers through MassTaxConnect. MassDOT Highway Division issues oversize and overweight permits through its OASIS system. The Department of Public Utilities licenses the three sectors that still need state authority: household goods movers, involuntary tow companies and intrastate bus companies.

For a general freight hauler, that means no state authority application at all. What you do need is the USDOT number on the truck, and, once you cross state lines, IRP plates and an IFTA license.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page owns the USDOT number rule and the DPU sector authorities. The permits pages cover the legal limits, the irreducible and reducible permit fees, the Boston tunnel height caps and the holiday blackouts. The IFTA page covers MassTaxConnect filing and the Turnpike mileage step, and the IRP page covers the July to June registration year run from Quincy.

Every figure on those pages is a data field tied to the RMV, DOR, MassDOT or DPU page or regulation it came from. Where an agency does not publish a fact, we say so plainly instead of guessing.

Massachusetts filing walkthroughs

Step-by-step articles for the recurring Massachusetts filings, written against the same sourced records as the pages above.

Free calculators that cover Massachusetts

Frequently asked questions

Does Massachusetts require its own trucking authority?

Not for general freight. Massachusetts issues no state operating authority for hauling property inside the state. It does require every intrastate truck over the federal weight line to carry a USDOT number from FMCSA, and it requires DPU authority for household goods movers, involuntary tows and intrastate bus companies.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Massachusetts?

The Registry of Motor Vehicles handles the USDOT marking rule, IRP plates and CDLs. The Department of Revenue runs IFTA. MassDOT Highway Division issues oversize and overweight permits. The Department of Public Utilities licenses movers, tow companies and bus companies and collects UCR for the state.

Do I need a USDOT number if I never leave Massachusetts?

Yes, when the truck rates at or above the federal commercial weight line, carries placarded hazmat, or is a larger passenger vehicle. The rule turns on the vehicle's rating rather than its registration class, and FMCSA issues the number free.

Where do the numbers on these Massachusetts pages come from?

Every fee, limit and deadline is a data field tied to the RMV, DOR, MassDOT or DPU page or regulation it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Anything those agencies leave unpublished, such as a state liability minimum for intrastate freight, is labeled as unpublished rather than guessed at.

Sources

The official sources used on this page. Check the current instructions before you file or pay.

  1. Transportation Oversight Division · Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Transportation Oversight Division

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.