Skip to content
Haul Handbook logoHaul Handbook

Montana trucking

How to start a trucking company in Montana

Start with the USDOT number: Montana has no freight authority, so the number MDT assigns intrastate carriers is the state requirement, and interstate carriers get it from FMCSA. Then file the MCS-150, open IRP and IFTA accounts with MDT if you cross state lines, buy the right insurance, and add permits when loads run oversize.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 28, 2026

The launch sequence

Federal first, then Montana. The federal side is identical in every state and is covered in depth by how to get your own authority; the state facts below come from our sourced Montana data.

  1. Get the USDOT number. Montana has no freight authority, so the USDOT number is the state requirement. Intrastate carriers get it through MDT's safety section; carriers that will cross state lines register with FMCSA. MDT will not open an IFTA, IRP or UCR account without it.
  2. File the MCS-150 before the first load. Montana's safety rule requires intrastate carriers to file the MCS-150 before they start operating and to update it every other year on the federal schedule, whether they haul for hire or haul their own goods.
  3. Buy the insurance your operation needs. Intrastate for-hire freight needs the state auto liability floor and files nothing with Montana. Interstate for-hire and hazmat carriers need the federal minimums. PSC-certificated carriers have their insurer file Form E and, for Class A, Form H.
  4. Register the trucks and open the fuel tax account. Interstate fleets based in Montana take apportioned plates and an IFTA license from MDT Motor Carrier Services, with a staffed Montana office or proof of residency. Intrastate-only trucks register through the county and pay the Montana GVW fee.
  5. Mark the trucks with the MT suffix. Each self-propelled commercial vehicle shows the USDOT number followed by MT, plus the carrier's name or trade name.
  6. Set up MT eTRIPS if your loads run oversize. MDT issues trip and term permits through its MT eTRIPS system, where carriers self-issue most of them. Superloads need a separate application and district approval, so start that review well before the move.
  7. Calendar the recurring deadlines. IFTA returns are due every quarter with an annual license renewal, apportioned plates renew on the quarter set when the fleet opened, term permits end with the calendar year, and the MCS-150 update comes due every other year.

The order that works in Montana

Number first. An intrastate carrier gets its USDOT number through MDT's safety section and files the MCS-150 before it starts hauling. A carrier that will cross state lines registers with FMCSA and takes federal operating authority if it hauls for hire. Either way, MDT will not open an IFTA, IRP or UCR account without the number.

Then insurance. For intrastate for-hire freight, Montana's floor is the ordinary auto liability policy, and nothing is filed with the state. Interstate for-hire carriers fall under the federal minimums instead.

Then plates and fuel tax. Interstate fleets based in Montana open an IRP account and an IFTA license with MDT Motor Carrier Services, which both require a real Montana place of business or proof of residency. Intrastate trucks register through the county and pay the Montana GVW fee. Permits come last, and only if your loads run oversize or overweight.

Where Montana differs from other states

Montana skips the state authority step that most states require of for-hire freight carriers, but it does not skip safety oversight. It adopts the federal safety rules for intrastate carriers, with its own changes: the MT suffix on the USDOT number, a younger minimum age for intrastate-only drivers, and a year-round agricultural season for the hours-of-service exemption.

Montana also has no flat gross weight cap. Gross weight follows the axle limits and the bridge formula, and every Montana-registered truck pays a gross vehicle weight fee on top of its registration.

The Montana facts you will need

State authority required
No
State agency
Montana Public Service Commission, Transportation Division (Class A, D and E certificates); Montana Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services Division (intrastate USDOT number and safety rules, ARM 18.8.1502)
State filing fee
General freight carriers pay no state authority fee because no authority exists. Neither ARM 18.8.1502 nor the MDT pages state a fee for the intrastate USDOT number, so none is recorded. PSC certificates are priced separately: a $500 application filing fee (with $300, less legal notice costs, refunded on a written withdrawal at least two business days before hearing), plus the cost of legal notices, plus an annual $5 per-vehicle registration fee for Class A and D carriers.

The complete tables live on the dedicated pages: intrastate authority, IRP registration, IFTA, and trucking permits.

Budget the launch before you file

The trucking startup cost calculator builds a line-item estimate from the sourced fee data, and the cost pillar explains every line. Neither replaces a quote for your truck and insurance, which are the two biggest variables.

Common mistakes when launching in Montana

  • Assuming no authority means no registration at all

    Montana issues no freight authority, but an intrastate commercial motor vehicle still needs a USDOT number from MDT, marked with MT, and an MCS-150 on file before it hauls.

  • Carrying only the state liability floor on an interstate load

    The state auto policy covers intrastate for-hire freight only. The first load that crosses a state line brings the federal minimums into force, so a carrier that plans to run interstate should buy that coverage before it does.

  • Using a virtual office as the Montana base

    Montana's IRP base rules call for a physical office under a lease, open and staffed by your own employees with signage and posted hours, or proof of Montana residency. Third-party agent addresses and virtual offices do not qualify.

  • Registering light and then running heavy

    A Montana-registered truck pays the GVW fee for its declared loaded weight. Running heavier than the weight paid for is a licensing problem even when the axles are legal, so buy the higher GVW fee for the months you need it.

  • Rolling past an open weigh station

    Trucks at the weigh station weight line must stop at open Montana scales. Bypass programs help, but overweight loads, wide or tall loads, and oversize loads without a permit must still pull in.

  • Planning a wide load across a holiday weekend

    Montana holiday closures extend to the adjoining weekend, and Thanksgiving closes from Thursday through Sunday for loads over the holiday limits. Book the move around the closure, not into it.

  • Skipping chains in the winter months

    Through the cold season, heavy trucks towing a trailer must carry approved traction devices wherever chains may be required, unless all four wheels are powered.

  • Skipping a zero-mile IFTA return

    Montana wants a return every quarter even with no miles, and a late return draws the minimum penalty even when it shows a credit. A long enough stretch of quarters with no activity can also get the license cancelled.

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to start a trucking company in Montana?

General freight pays no state authority fee, because Montana has none. The costs are the IRP apportioned fees and Montana GVW fees on your trucks, UCR if you run interstate, and permit fees when loads need them. Montana publishes no IFTA license or decal fee. Each amount is a sourced field on our Montana pages.

Do I need Montana authority to haul freight for hire inside the state?

No state authority, but you do need a USDOT number once your truck crosses the intrastate weight line or hauls placarded hazmat. MDT assigns it, you mark it on the truck with MT after it, and you keep it current with the MCS-150.

Does a private carrier hauling its own goods need a Montana USDOT number?

Yes, above the weight line. Montana's intrastate safety rules cover private and for-hire carriers alike, so a business hauling its own property in a commercial motor vehicle gets the same MT-suffixed number. Farm vehicles operating only in Montana are excluded.

Who handles fuel tax for Montana carriers?

MDT, split between two offices. Motor Carrier Services issues the IFTA license and decals, and the Revenue Services Bureau takes the quarterly returns, both through ePART. A carrier without IFTA can buy a temporary special fuel permit instead.

Can I base an IRP or IFTA account in Montana with a virtual office?

No. MDT wants a physical Montana office, owned or leased, open and staffed by your own employees during regular hours with company signage. Registered agent, virtual office and rent-an-address locations do not qualify, though a carrier with no office can base on proof of Montana residency.

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.