HaulTanker (Liquids & Gases) Trucking Companies
46,815 active U.S. motor carriers (2.1% of all active carriers) report liquids & gases (tanker) as a cargo type in the FMCSA Company Census. Tanker carriers flag liquids and gases — fuel, food-grade liquids, industrial chemicals and compressed gases — hauled in cylindrical tank trailers that demand specialized equipment and endorsements.
The headline numbers
Tanker work is heavily interstate and carries one of the highest hazmat-endorsement overlaps of any cargo type, reflecting the regulated nature of bulk liquid and gas transport.
Where tanker (liquids & gases) trucking companies are based
Each state is shaded by the number of active carriers reporting this cargo type, from light (fewer) to dark (more), based on each carrier’s registered physical-address state. The smallest Northeast states and DC are labeled in the margin so their counts stay readable.
Show data table
| State | Carriers |
|---|---|
| Texas | 4,536 |
| New York | 3,004 |
| California | 2,979 |
| Florida | 2,608 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,796 |
| Georgia | 1,767 |
| Michigan | 1,463 |
| Colorado | 1,356 |
| Wisconsin | 1,345 |
| Minnesota | 1,333 |
| Ohio | 1,234 |
| Massachusetts | 1,200 |
Fleet size: who actually hauls this freight
64.4% of these carriers run six trucks or fewer and just 2.6% run a hundred or more — the fleet shape that determines how capacity and pricing behave in this segment.
Interstate vs. intrastate operation
67.9% operate interstate (across state lines, the trigger for federal operating authority) and 32.1% operate intrastate. Tanker hazmat loads require matching endorsements and active insurance on file; confirm both before tendering freight.
Vet a specific carrier
These are aggregate counts. To check a single company, look it up by name or USDOT number, read our guide to vetting a carrier before you book, and learn how to spot double-brokering and carrier fraud. Compare freight types on the cargo-type pillar or see the national industry statistics.
Frequently asked questions
- How many tanker trucking companies are there?
- This page shows the current count of active carriers that flag liquids/gases in the FMCSA Company Census.
- Do tanker carriers carry hazmat?
- Many do. The hazmat-overlap figure on this page shows what share of liquids/gases carriers also carry a hazmat indicator.
- Which state has the most tanker (liquids & gases) trucking companies?
- Texas leads with 4,536 active carriers reporting this cargo type, based on each carrier's registered physical-address state. The full state breakdown is on this page.
- Where does this data come from?
- The public FMCSA Company Census (dataset az4n-8mr2), filtered to active carriers that report this cargo-classification flag and grouped by registered state, fleet size, operation type and hazmat indicator. It refreshes automatically as the federal data updates.