Rhode Island has 4,296 active motor carriers registered with FMCSA, the 49th most in the country. The largest share is based in Providence. About 48% are single-truck operations (close to the national average), and 19% hold active for-hire authority (above the national 15%).
New carriers in Rhode Island
118 new USDOT numbers in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island's carrier records
| Signal (active carriers) | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-service order in effect | 68 | 1.58% |
| Revocation pending | 29 | 0.68% |
| For-hire authority, no liability insurance on file | 17 | 0.40% |
| Phone shared with other carriers | 77 | 1.79% |
| Email shared with other carriers | 69 | 1.61% |
| MCS-150 more than two years old | 1,369 | 31.9% |
Rhode Island has 158 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 | 2,043 | 47.6% |
| 2 to 5 | 1,473 | 34.3% |
| 6 to 20 | 397 | 9.2% |
| 21 or more | 103 | 2.4% |
| None reported | 280 | 6.5% |
Cities with the most carriers
| City | Active carriers |
|---|---|
| Providence | 690 |
| Cranston | 351 |
| Warwick | 301 |
| Pawtucket | 295 |
| Johnston | 272 |
| Cumberland | 133 |
| Coventry | 120 |
| Smithfield | 113 |
| Woonsocket | 112 |
| East Providence | 98 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many trucking companies are in Rhode Island?
As of 2026-11-09, FMCSA's census lists 4,296 active USDOT-registered motor carriers with a physical address in Rhode Island, the 49th most of any state. 828 of them hold active for-hire operating authority (an MC number).
How many new trucking companies started in Rhode Island recently?
118 USDOT numbers based in Rhode Island were added in the last 90 days, including 29 in the last 30 days. That ranks 46th among states for new registrations.
How do I check a Rhode Island 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.