South Dakota has 6,439 active motor carriers registered with FMCSA, the 45th most in the country. The largest share is based in Sioux Falls. About 43% are single-truck operations (fewer than the national share of 53%), and 28% hold active for-hire authority (above the national 15%).
New carriers in South Dakota
88 new USDOT numbers in South Dakota 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 South Dakota's carrier records
| Signal (active carriers) | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-service order in effect | 44 | 0.68% |
| Revocation pending | 22 | 0.34% |
| For-hire authority, no liability insurance on file | 4 | 0.06% |
| Phone shared with other carriers | 96 | 1.49% |
| Email shared with other carriers | 85 | 1.32% |
| MCS-150 more than two years old | 2,063 | 32.0% |
South Dakota has 68 out-of-service orders in effect per 10,000 active carriers, close to the national average . These are signals to look into, not verdicts about any company.
Fleet sizes
| Power units | Carriers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 power unit | 2,764 | 42.9% |
| 2 to 5 | 2,363 | 36.7% |
| 6 to 20 | 689 | 10.7% |
| 21 or more | 212 | 3.3% |
| None reported | 411 | 6.4% |
Cities with the most carriers
| City | Active carriers |
|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | 901 |
| Rapid City | 310 |
| Watertown | 149 |
| Aberdeen | 142 |
| Yankton | 134 |
| Mitchell | 103 |
| Spearfish | 90 |
| Belle Fourche | 83 |
| Huron | 80 |
| Brandon | 79 |
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Frequently asked questions
How many trucking companies are in South Dakota?
As of 2026-11-09, FMCSA's census lists 6,439 active USDOT-registered motor carriers with a physical address in South Dakota, the 45th most of any state. 1,809 of them hold active for-hire operating authority (an MC number).
How many new trucking companies started in South Dakota recently?
88 USDOT numbers based in South Dakota were added in the last 90 days, including 18 in the last 30 days. That ranks 48th among states for new registrations.
How do I check a South Dakota 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.