Michigan, Ohio and Indiana carriers by cargo type
As of Oct 29, 2026, the FMCSA Company Census File lists 27,892 active Michigan registrants that report general freight, 34,232 in Ohio and 21,505 in Indiana. For metal sheets, coils and rolls the counts are 5,111, 5,843 and 4,388. Registrants can check more than one cargo type.
- The table
- Method
- FAQ
Carriers report the cargo they haul on Form MCS-150. Here are the active registrants in our three states by cargo type, for the freight types we cover in our guides.
The table
| Cargo type checked | Michigan | Ohio | Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| All active registrants | 78,154 | 52,228 | 47,172 |
| General freight | 27,892 | 34,232 | 21,505 |
| Metal: sheets, coils, rolls | 5,111 | 5,843 | 4,388 |
| Machinery, large objects | 15,653 | 8,390 | 9,133 |
| Refrigerated food | 2,916 | 3,468 | 2,860 |
| Beverages | 2,384 | 2,894 | 2,211 |
| Paper products | 3,247 | 4,155 | 2,979 |
| Intermodal containers | 1,403 | 2,005 | 1,088 |
| Grain, feed, hay | 10,897 | 5,019 | 6,000 |
| Liquids or gases | 2,065 | 2,020 | 1,404 |
| Motor vehicles | 7,715 | 6,645 | 4,594 |
| Dry bulk | 3,916 | 4,798 | 3,495 |
| Fresh produce | 4,348 | 3,435 | 2,969 |
| Coal, coke | 522 | 1,496 | 959 |
Source: FMCSA Company Census File, pulled Oct 29, 2026. Counts change daily. FMCSA refreshes this dataset daily; ours is the version that was live at our pull. Source data: FMCSA, a US government work in the public domain. Our tables, charts and text: CC BY 4.0. Please credit Helm Partners and link to this page.
Fleets with 1 or 2 power units
| Cargo type checked | Michigan | Ohio | Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| All active registrants | 53,436 | 31,793 | 31,224 |
| General freight | 19,109 | 22,011 | 14,027 |
| Metal: sheets, coils, rolls | 3,179 | 3,294 | 2,482 |
| Machinery, large objects | 9,395 | 4,369 | 5,305 |
| Refrigerated food | 1,705 | 1,837 | 1,630 |
| Beverages | 1,285 | 1,484 | 1,221 |
| Paper products | 1,820 | 2,227 | 1,695 |
| Intermodal containers | 800 | 1,125 | 557 |
| Grain, feed, hay | 7,487 | 3,017 | 3,694 |
Fleets with 3 to 20 power units
| Cargo type checked | Michigan | Ohio | Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| All active registrants | 18,263 | 12,756 | 11,396 |
| General freight | 5,851 | 7,821 | 5,041 |
| Metal: sheets, coils, rolls | 1,356 | 1,722 | 1,308 |
| Machinery, large objects | 5,316 | 3,079 | 3,131 |
| Refrigerated food | 738 | 920 | 777 |
| Beverages | 670 | 819 | 641 |
| Paper products | 924 | 1,205 | 840 |
| Intermodal containers | 359 | 489 | 305 |
| Grain, feed, hay | 2,965 | 1,514 | 1,938 |
Same source and license. Power units as reported by registrants on Form MCS-150, pulled Oct 29, 2026.
Fleets with 21 or more power units
| Cargo type checked | Michigan | Ohio | Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| All active registrants | 1,676 | 2,136 | 1,331 |
| General freight | 868 | 1,438 | 795 |
| Metal: sheets, coils, rolls | 231 | 341 | 289 |
| Machinery, large objects | 515 | 577 | 472 |
| Refrigerated food | 188 | 265 | 161 |
| Beverages | 238 | 308 | 188 |
| Paper products | 265 | 371 | 241 |
| Intermodal containers | 100 | 179 | 115 |
| Grain, feed, hay | 150 | 192 | 186 |
Same source and license for every table. Power units as reported by registrants on Form MCS-150, pulled Oct 29, 2026.
By county: steel and machinery carriers by county.
Method
- Active means census status code A. State is the physical address state.
- A row counts registrants that checked that cargo type. One registrant can check several.
- Counts include private carriers and other registrants, not only for-hire trucking companies.
- Registrants reporting 0 power units are in the totals but not in any size band, so bands do not add up to the total.
- Some census cargo fields return identical counts to others (building materials and construction; meat and refrigerated food), so we leave those out until FMCSA confirms the field mapping.
- We do not compare years, because closed carriers are not in the current file.
Next slices: more cargo types. Totals by state: carriers by the numbers. Guides: dry van insurance requirements, flatbed cargo securement and steel coils.
FAQ
Where do these numbers come from?
The FMCSA Company Census File on data.transportation.gov, dataset az4n-8mr2, pulled Oct 29, 2026.
Do the cargo rows add up to the total?
No. A registrant can check more than one cargo type on Form MCS-150.
Are these all for-hire trucking companies?
No. They include every active USDOT registrant with a physical address in the state, including private carriers.
Can I reuse this table?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0. Please credit Helm Partners and link to this page. The source data is FMCSA, a US government work in the public domain.
This guide is general information, not advice on any policy.
Related data: Michigan, Ohio and Indiana carriers by the numbers.
Sources
- FMCSA Company Census File (data.transportation.gov, dataset az4n-8mr2) (pulled Oct 29, 2026)