Kansas has 19,157 active motor carriers registered with FMCSA, the 32nd most in the country. The largest share is based in Wichita. About 43% are single-truck operations (fewer than the national share of 53%), and 19% hold active for-hire authority (above the national 15%).
New carriers in Kansas
259 new USDOT numbers in Kansas were registered in the last 90 days, 1.4% of the state's active carriers (a lower 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 Kansas's carrier records
| Signal (active carriers) | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-service order in effect | 56 | 0.29% |
| Revocation pending | 69 | 0.36% |
| For-hire authority, no liability insurance on file | 16 | 0.08% |
| Phone shared with other carriers | 369 | 1.93% |
| Email shared with other carriers | 263 | 1.37% |
| MCS-150 more than two years old | 7,589 | 39.6% |
Kansas has 29 out-of-service orders in effect per 10,000 active carriers, below 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 | 8,178 | 42.7% |
| 2 to 5 | 7,025 | 36.7% |
| 6 to 20 | 2,161 | 11.3% |
| 21 or more | 637 | 3.3% |
| None reported | 1,156 | 6.0% |
Cities with the most carriers
| City | Active carriers |
|---|---|
| Wichita | 2,030 |
| Kansas City | 819 |
| Olathe | 689 |
| Topeka | 685 |
| Overland Park | 565 |
| Garden City | 510 |
| Lawrence | 342 |
| Lenexa | 320 |
| Hutchinson | 300 |
| Shawnee | 276 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many trucking companies are in Kansas?
As of 2026-11-09, FMCSA's census lists 19,157 active USDOT-registered motor carriers with a physical address in Kansas, the 32nd most of any state. 3,735 of them hold active for-hire operating authority (an MC number).
How many new trucking companies started in Kansas recently?
259 USDOT numbers based in Kansas were added in the last 90 days, including 78 in the last 30 days. That ranks 35th among states for new registrations.
How do I check a Kansas 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.