Illinois has 56,090 active motor carriers registered with FMCSA, the 10th most in the country. The largest share is based in Chicago. About 43% are single-truck operations (fewer than the national share of 53%), and 34% hold active for-hire authority (above the national 15%).
New carriers in Illinois
1,490 new USDOT numbers in Illinois were registered in the last 90 days, 2.7% of the state's active carriers (a higher rate than the national 1.8%). New authorities aren't a problem in themselves, since every carrier starts somewhere, but many freight-fraud schemes use authorities only weeks old, so brokers often apply extra checks to them.
Risk signals in Illinois's carrier records
| Signal (active carriers) | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-service order in effect | 661 | 1.18% |
| Revocation pending | 542 | 0.97% |
| For-hire authority, no liability insurance on file | 143 | 0.25% |
| Phone shared with other carriers | 871 | 1.55% |
| Email shared with other carriers | 553 | 0.99% |
| MCS-150 more than two years old | 17,400 | 31.0% |
Illinois has 118 out-of-service orders in effect per 10,000 active carriers, above the national rate of 64. These are signals to look into, not verdicts about any company.
Fleet sizes
| Power units | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 power unit | 24,136 | 43.0% |
| 2 to 5 | 16,391 | 29.2% |
| 6 to 20 | 5,513 | 9.8% |
| 21 or more | 2,842 | 5.1% |
| None reported | 7,208 | 12.9% |
Cities with the most carriers
| City | Active carriers |
|---|---|
| Chicago | 6,632 |
| Aurora | 877 |
| Schaumburg | 867 |
| Plainfield | 795 |
| Naperville | 753 |
| Joliet | 664 |
| Des Plaines | 653 |
| Rockford | 542 |
| Elk Grove Village | 536 |
| Elgin | 463 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many trucking companies are in Illinois?
As of 2026-11-09, FMCSA's census lists 56,090 active USDOT-registered motor carriers with a physical address in Illinois, the 10th most of any state. 19,032 of them hold active for-hire operating authority (an MC number).
How many new trucking companies started in Illinois recently?
1,490 USDOT numbers based in Illinois were added in the last 90 days, including 414 in the last 30 days. That ranks 8th among states for new registrations.
How do I check a Illinois carrier before booking a load?
Confirm the USDOT number is active, the operating authority is active with liability insurance on file, there is no out-of-service order or pending revocation, and the phone number on FMCSA's record matches the person you're dealing with. You can run all of these checks at once with the free CarrierTell lookup.