Starting a box truck business: CDL, USDOT number and other requirements

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 6, 2026

Many box truck business requirements turn on weight. At 10,001 lbs (rating or actual weight) in interstate commerce you need a USDOT number and a medical card, and hours-of-service rules apply. At 26,001 lbs (rating or actual weight), the driver of a single truck needs a Class B CDL. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The CDL line: 26,000 vs 26,001 lbs

A single truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lbs or more needs a Class B CDL. The same applies if it tows a trailer rated 10,000 lbs or less.

The test uses the weight rating or the actual weight, whichever is greater. A box truck rated at 26,000 lbs is under the Class B line, but if you run it at an actual weight of 26,001 lbs or more, it counts as a CDL vehicle. Watch the loaded weight of a 26,000-lb truck.

If the box truck tows a trailer rated over 10,000 lbs and the combination is 26,001 lbs or more, that is a Class A combination. [5][6]

Which trucks need what

How the main federal weight lines apply to a straight truck hauling non-hazmat freight in interstate commerce.

Sources: [1][5][6]

USDOT number and medical card

A vehicle with a weight rating or actual weight of 10,001 lbs or more is a commercial motor vehicle under the federal safety rules. A carrier running these trucks in interstate commerce must register with FMCSA and have a USDOT number, which is free, and display the number on each truck.

Every driver must be medically certified as physically qualified, with or without a CDL. You must be re-examined and certified at least every 24 months, and some drivers, such as those with insulin-treated diabetes, every 12 months. See USDOT number and DOT physical. [1][2][3][7][16][17]

Operating authority and insurance

If you haul other people's freight for pay across state lines, you generally need interstate operating authority (an MC number) as well as a USDOT number. FMCSA charges $300 for each type of authority. A private carrier hauling only its own cargo doesn't need authority.

For-hire carriers of non-hazardous freight must carry at least $750,000 of liability coverage for vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more, or $300,000 if every vehicle in the fleet is under 10,001 lbs. [8][9][18]

How to start a box truck business: a checklist

• Check your truck's weight rating and loaded weight against the 10,001-lb and 26,001-lb lines.
• At 26,001 lbs or more (rating or actual weight), the driver of a single truck needs a Class B CDL.
• For interstate work at 10,001 lbs or more, register for a free USDOT number, mark each truck, and get your medical card.
• If you haul other people's federally regulated freight for pay across state lines, you generally need operating authority ($300 per type) and the required liability coverage.
• Track hours of service, on an ELD unless an exception applies.
• Check whether IFTA, IRP or a state highway use tax applies.

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][11][14][16][18][19][20]

Hours of service and ELDs

Non-CDL box truck drivers, such as those in a 26,000-lb truck, are still covered by hours-of-service rules. A separate 150 air-mile short-haul exception exists for drivers of property-carrying vehicles that don't require a CDL.

Unless an exception applies, drivers record duty status on an ELD. Drivers who meet the 150 air-mile short-haul exception don't need logs or an ELD. See hours of service and the ELD mandate. [4][11][21]

Drug testing if you need a CDL

DOT drug and alcohol testing applies to drivers who need a CDL, and to their employers. If your truck needs a Class B CDL, see DOT drug testing. [22]

Fuel tax, plates and state highway taxes

IFTA and IRP cover a two-axle truck only when its weight exceeds 26,000 lbs, and only when it runs in two or more member jurisdictions.

New York's highway use tax applies to trucks with a gross weight over 18,000 lbs, so a loaded box truck can need it even below the CDL line. See state weight-distance taxes. [14][19][20]

Common questions