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Commercial Auto July 12, 2026

Where America's local & last-mile trucking companies are: top states by count

By Dave Benson · Edited by Justin Marks · Reviewed by Jason Wootton, NPN 7694718 Verify NPN ↗

The U.S. has about 46,302 LOCAL general-freight trucking establishments (2023 Census, NAICS 484110) — a different segment from long-distance truckload. California leads with 9,580, then Illinois (4,635) and Florida (3,073).

There are roughly 46,302 local general-freight trucking establishments in the U.S. (NAICS 484110, 2023 Census County Business Patterns) — the drayage, last-mile, and intrastate carriers that move freight within a metro or region, distinct from the long-distance truckload segment. California leads with 9,580, well ahead of Illinois (4,635, Chicago's freight-hub role again), Florida (3,073), Texas (2,837), and New York (2,113) — with Pennsylvania (1,860), New Jersey (1,737), and Michigan (1,589) rounding out the top eight. Together these establishments employ about 284,100 people.

Why it matters for insurance: local trucking is a commercial-auto exposure first — frequent stops, urban traffic, and short-radius driving drive claim frequency, and commercial auto ran a 74.4% loss ratio in 2023, the worst of the major commercial lines (NAIC). See how that varies by state in our Commercial Auto Loss Ratios by State study, and compare the long-distance segment in our long-distance trucking counts.

Local general-freight trucking establishments by state — top 8 (2023 Census CBP)
Local general-freight trucking establishments by state — top 8 (2023 Census CBP)California9,580Illinois4,635Florida3,073Texas2,837New York2,113Pennsylvania1,860New Jersey1,737Michigan1,589
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 484110)

Full state breakdown

Every state with a reported count, ranked — U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns.

Rank State establishmentspaid employees
1 California 9,58041,180
2 Illinois 4,63517,619
3 Florida 3,07315,528
4 Texas 2,83722,404
5 New York 2,11313,825
6 Pennsylvania 1,86012,487
7 New Jersey 1,73712,720
8 Michigan 1,58912,473
9 Ohio 1,36615,110
10 Georgia 1,2829,810
11 North Carolina 1,2176,654
12 Indiana 9817,194
13 Minnesota 9534,838
14 Virginia 8975,996
15 Maryland 7985,456
16 Missouri 7344,895
17 Washington 7314,766
18 Massachusetts 7234,607
19 South Carolina 6534,805
20 Colorado 6443,696
21 Wisconsin 6346,049
22 Iowa 5823,424
23 Arizona 5613,633
24 Tennessee 5415,896
25 Utah 5013,390
26 Louisiana 4151,987
27 Kentucky 3792,948
28 Alabama 3492,328
29 Nebraska 3112,327
30 Idaho 2901,040
31 Kansas 2762,337
32 Oregon 2762,403
33 Arkansas 2631,963
34 Mississippi 2542,037
35 Oklahoma 2511,559
36 Connecticut 2502,971
37 Nevada 2201,683
38 New Mexico 1791,108
39 Rhode Island 149566
40 West Virginia 1451,030
41 Maine 143773
42 South Dakota 136553
43 North Dakota 135928
44 Wyoming 132532
45 New Hampshire 1221,128
46 Delaware 101556
47 Montana 100498
48 Hawaii 831,253
49 Alaska 74728
50 Vermont 37279
51 District of Columbia 10131

Paid employees = total employment reported for the week of March 12, U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. "—" marks state cells the Census suppressed for disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

How many local trucking companies are there in the U.S.?
About 46,302 local general-freight trucking establishments operate nationwide, per the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 484110). That is separate from the ~60,137 long-distance truckload establishments (NAICS 484121).
Which state has the most local trucking companies?
California leads with 9,580 local general-freight establishments, followed by Illinois (4,635) and Florida (3,073) — 2023 Census CBP.
What insurance does a local trucking company need?
Local carriers are a commercial-auto exposure first (liability + physical damage on the trucks), usually with motor-truck cargo coverage and general liability. Intrastate operators follow their state DOT's minimums rather than the federal FMCSA $750,000 that applies to interstate general freight.
Why is trucking insurance so expensive?
Commercial auto ran a 74.4% loss ratio in 2023 — the worst of the major commercial lines (NAIC) — so insurers paid out more than they earned in premium, keeping trucking rates under upward pressure. Local operations add stop-and-go urban frequency on top of that.

Methodology

Counts are establishments classified under NAICS 484110 (General Freight Trucking, Local) in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 County Business Patterns, the most recent CBP release. An establishment is a single physical location; figures count establishments, not vehicles. State rows exclude cells the Census suppressed for disclosure. The loss-ratio figure is from the NAIC 2023 Report on Profitability by Line by State.

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