Kentucky Trucking Companies (2026): Largest Carriers, Phone Numbers & DOT Numbers

By the America’s Driving Force team · Last updated September 28, 2026 · Data source: U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

Kentucky has 4,720 active for-hire trucking companies registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), running about 27,900 trucks and employing about 27,800 drivers (data current to September 2026). About 90% of them operate fewer than 10 trucks. Among carriers registered in Kentucky, the largest by reported fleet size include Mercer Transportation Company Inc., Paschall Truck Lines Inc., Ups Cartage Services Inc., Reladyne Transportation LLC and M & M Cartage Co Inc.. The most carriers are based in Louisville, Bowling Green, Lexington, Florence and London. National carriers headquartered in other states operate here too but are registered in their home states, so they are not counted on this page.

Looking for a driving job in Kentucky? Tell us your CDL and location and we will match you with hiring carriers. Run a trucking company? Claim or feature your listing.

Kentucky trucking at a glance

• 4,720 active for-hire carriers based in Kentucky
• 27,881 trucks and 27,810 drivers reported
• 2,477 carriers (52%) run a single truck, and 8 run 200 or more
• Most carriers by city: Louisville (1,264), Bowling Green (223), Lexington (176), Florence (73), London (67)
• Most common freight type: general freight

See every active Kentucky trucking company

The tables on this page show the biggest and most relevant carriers. To see the rest:

• Get the full Kentucky list (CSV, 4,720 companies): free, just enter your email and the download link appears right away. It has company name, city, phone, trucks, drivers, types of hauling and USDOT number, and opens in Excel or Google Sheets, where you can sort and filter by city or fleet size.
• FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot: look up any carrier by name or USDOT number to see its safety record and registration status.
• The full federal census dataset for every carrier in the country.

Largest trucking companies in Kentucky

These are the biggest carriers registered in Kentucky, ranked by the number of trucks they report. Large fleets tend to hire year-round and offer more routes, benefits and equipment. Is your company missing or out of date? Claim or feature your listing.

Mid-size Kentucky trucking companies (50 to 200 trucks)

Mid-size carriers often give drivers more personal attention and more predictable regional or dedicated runs than the national giants.

Small Kentucky trucking companies (10 to 49 trucks)

Small fleets can be a good fit if you want a family-style company, flexible home time or local routes.

Kentucky hazmat carriers

These carriers reported hauling hazardous materials, which requires a hazmat endorsement on your CDL.

Types of freight Kentucky carriers haul

The most common types of freight reported by Kentucky carriers are: General freight (3,919), Building materials (1,646), Construction (1,646), Machinery and large objects (1,150), Logs, poles and lumber (1,022), Metal, sheets and coils (982), Farm supplies (891), Grain, feed and hay (859). A company that lists general freight typically runs dry van or flatbed loads, while specialty types such as liquids and gases, chemicals or dry bulk usually need tanker or bulk equipment and extra endorsements.

Looking for a trucking job in Kentucky?

Kentucky carriers of every size are hiring drivers. Tell us about your CDL, experience and where you want to drive, and we will pass your details to trucking companies and CDL schools that fit. It is free for drivers.

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New to trucking? Read how much CDL training costs and how to get CDL training.

Own or run a Kentucky trucking company?

Every company on this page comes from public federal records. You can ask us to correct your listing for free, or to feature your company with a highlighted row, a link to your hiring page and a driver-recruiting message.

Claim or feature your listing

Resources for Kentucky drivers and owner-operators

• Commercial truck insurance companies compared
• Best load boards for carriers and dispatchers
• Highest paying truck driving jobs

Where Kentucky trucking companies are based

Louisville has the most registered carriers, followed by Bowling Green, Lexington, Florence and London.

How to check that a Kentucky trucking company is legitimate

1. Get the USDOT number. Every carrier above has a USDOT link that opens its federal record.
2. Check its status. On the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot, confirm the operating status is active and see its fleet size, cargo types and inspection history.
3. Verify authority and insurance. Use the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance site to confirm the carrier’s operating authority and insurance on file.
4. Review safety. Look at the safety rating and inspection and crash records before you sign on or hire.
5. Confirm the details. Call the phone number listed and get pay, home time and benefits in writing.

USDOT number vs MC number: a USDOT number identifies a carrier for safety tracking. An MC (Motor Carrier) number is the operating authority that allows a company to haul freight for hire across state lines. This directory lists carriers that hold both.

About this data and how we compiled it

This page is compiled by the America’s Driving Force team from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, a public dataset from the U.S. Department of Transportation. We update it every quarter; this version was retrieved on September 28, 2026.

• Where a carrier is counted: by the physical address on its federal record. A national carrier headquartered in another state appears under its home state, not here, even if it runs trucks in Kentucky.

active status, a for-hire operating authority (MC number), at least one truck, and a federal registration update since September 2024.

• Excluded: school bus, waste, towing, taxi and limousine operators, and records with implausible truck or driver counts.
• Limits: truck counts, driver counts and cargo types are self-reported by each carrier. Some large fleets are private fleets of non-trucking companies. Websites are taken from each carrier’s registered contact domain and shown only when the site loads and mentions the company name. Contact details for very small carriers are left out of the downloadable list to protect owner-operators’ privacy.
• Corrections: if a listing is wrong or you would like it updated, contact us. Carriers can update their own record with the FMCSA.

Frequently asked questions

How many trucking companies are in Kentucky?

Kentucky has 4,720 active for-hire trucking companies registered with the FMCSA as of September 2026, running about 27,900 trucks. About 52% are single-truck owner-operators, and about 90% operate fewer than 10 trucks.

What is the largest trucking company in Kentucky?

Among carriers registered in Kentucky, Mercer Transportation Company Inc., Paschall Truck Lines Inc. and Ups Cartage Services Inc. report the largest fleets, each over 600 trucks. Fleet sizes are self-reported and change over time. National carriers headquartered in other states also operate in Kentucky but are registered in their home states, so they are not counted here.

Which Kentucky cities have the most trucking companies?

Louisville has the most registered carriers with 1,264, followed by Bowling Green (223), Lexington (176), Florence (73) and London (67).

How do I check whether a Kentucky trucking company is legitimate?

Find the company's USDOT number, then look it up on the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Confirm its operating status is active, check its authority and insurance on the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance site, and review its safety record and inspection history.

Can I get CDL training in Kentucky?

Yes. Kentucky has CDL training schools and some carriers offer paid or no-cost training. America's Driving Force publishes guides to choosing a CDL school and getting CDL training.

Trucking companies in nearby states

• Trucking companies in Illinois
• Trucking companies in Indiana
• Trucking companies in Missouri
• Trucking companies in Ohio
• Trucking companies in Tennessee
• Trucking companies in Virginia
• Trucking companies in West Virginia

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