Maine has 14,244 active motor carriers registered with FMCSA, the 33rd most in the country. The largest share is based in Portland. About 54% are single-truck operations (close to the national average), and 7% hold active for-hire authority (below the national 15%).
New carriers in Maine
120 new USDOT numbers in Maine were registered in the last 90 days, 0.8% 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 Maine's carrier records
| Signal (active carriers) | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-service order in effect | 41 | 0.29% |
| Revocation pending | 20 | 0.14% |
| For-hire authority, no liability insurance on file | 4 | 0.03% |
| Phone shared with other carriers | 218 | 1.53% |
| Email shared with other carriers | 140 | 0.98% |
| MCS-150 more than two years old | 7,838 | 55.0% |
Maine 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 | 7,641 | 53.6% |
| 2 to 5 | 4,836 | 34.0% |
| 6 to 20 | 1,190 | 8.4% |
| 21 or more | 234 | 1.6% |
| None reported | 343 | 2.4% |
Cities with the most carriers
| City | Active carriers |
|---|---|
| Portland | 275 |
| Scarborough | 187 |
| Bangor | 163 |
| Saco | 159 |
| Windham | 156 |
| Lewiston | 153 |
| Auburn | 144 |
| Augusta | 138 |
| Biddeford | 135 |
| Caribou | 135 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many trucking companies are in Maine?
As of 2026-11-09, FMCSA's census lists 14,244 active USDOT-registered motor carriers with a physical address in Maine, the 33rd most of any state. 935 of them hold active for-hire operating authority (an MC number).
How many new trucking companies started in Maine recently?
120 USDOT numbers based in Maine were added in the last 90 days, including 39 in the last 30 days. That ranks 42nd among states for new registrations.
How do I check a Maine 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.