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List of trucking associations: national, segment and state groups for small carriers

By Edwin Horton · Updated

Trucking associations advocate with lawmakers, run safety training, host events, and often negotiate member discounts. For a small carrier, the right association can be a source of regulatory updates, training, contacts and sometimes freight leads. The challenge is knowing which groups exist and which ones fit a fleet of one to ten trucks.

This list covers national associations, segment and safety groups, and a set of state trucking associations. Each description comes from the association's own website, checked October 2026.

How we chose: associations that carriers, owner-operators or specialized haulers can join, with a working website. National and segment groups are listed in full as found; state associations cover ten large trucking states, and we'll add more states over time. There's no ranking: groups appear alphabetically within each scope. We don't publish dues because they change; each association lists its own.

The roster

ASSOCIATION ROSTER

19 associations shown

Use the buttons to show national, segment or state groups, and the state menu to narrow the state list. Links go to each association's own site.

National associations

American Trucking Associations (ATA) calls itself the largest national trade association for trucking. It's a federation with the state associations, which means joining your state group connects you to national advocacy too.

OOIDA represents owner-operators and professional drivers and says it has worked for small business truckers since 1973. If you drive your own truck, it's built around your concerns.

NASTC, the National Association of Small Trucking Companies, focuses on small fleets, with compliance help, fuel discounts and recruiting services listed for members.

Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) focuses on truckload carriers, with safety programs, education and events.

Women In Trucking works to encourage the employment of women in trucking and to remove obstacles to their success, which matters to any fleet that recruits drivers, dispatchers or managers.

Segment and safety groups

National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) serves tank carriers, with a focus on safety through advocacy and education.

Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association (SC&RA) is an international group for heavy haul, specialized transport, crane and rigging companies, with more than 1,400 members from 46 nations, according to its site.

NTEA, The Work Truck Association represents companies that build, sell and repair work trucks and bodies. Useful for fleets buying specialized trucks or bodies.

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) isn't a carrier trade group, but it matters to every carrier: it sets roadside inspection standards and runs the annual Roadcheck inspection event, which ran in May in 2026 CVSA International Roadcheck 2026May 12-14, 2026 (72-hour inspection event)CVSA's annual 72-hour International Roadcheck, when inspectors across North America perform as many Level I inspections as possible. 2027 dates had not been announced when checked.CVSA, International Roadcheck, 2026Checked Oct 2026.

State trucking associations

State associations work on state laws, fuel taxes, road funding, enforcement and permits, and many run safety councils, training and annual conferences. For a small fleet, the state association is often the most practical group to join: the issues are local, the meetings are close, and the people you meet ship and haul freight in your region.

What small carriers get from associations

  • Regulatory updates in plain language before rules take effect.
  • Safety training, often discounted for members, including driver programs and compliance workshops.
  • Advocacy: a voice on tolls, fuel taxes, parking, enforcement and new rules.
  • Contacts: other carriers who may send overflow, shippers who attend events, vendors.
  • Discounts that some associations negotiate on fuel, insurance programs, tires and services; check terms on each site.

How to choose

  1. Start with your state association. Local issues and local contacts usually pay off first.
  2. Add one national group that fits how you operate. OOIDA for owner-operators, NASTC for small fleets, TCA for truckload carriers.
  3. Add a segment group if you haul specialized freight. Tank, heavy haul and work truck fleets have their own groups.
  4. Go to one event before deciding. Many associations let non-members attend some events.
  5. Measure it after a year. Did you learn something that saved money, meet someone who sent freight, or get a discount that covered the dues? If not, try a different group.

EXAMPLE A three-truck flatbed carrier in Ohio joins its state trucking association and attends two safety council meetings. A larger flatbed carrier at the second meeting is short on trucks for a spring construction run and calls the owner the following month with overflow loads.

Pick one group and show up

Associations sit beside the carriers and segments they speak for. See who's biggest in largest trucking companies in the US, and learn the segments associations represent in types of trucking. If you want one-on-one help instead of a membership, a trucking consultant may fit. Naming a new company before you join? Try the trucking company name generator. And for the full plan for adding trucks, read how to grow a trucking company.

Our view: join one group you'll show up to. An association pays off through the people you meet and the problems you avoid, not the membership card.

Joining a trucking association

01

What is the largest trucking association in the US?

The American Trucking Associations describes itself as the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. It's a federation that works with the state trucking associations.

02

Which trucking association is best for owner-operators?

OOIDA focuses on owner-operators and professional drivers, and NASTC focuses on small trucking companies. Many small carriers also join their state trucking association for local advocacy and training.

03

Do trucking associations help small carriers?

Many do, through safety training, regulatory updates, advocacy with lawmakers, member discounts and events where you can meet shippers and other carriers. Check what each one offers and what membership costs before joining.

04

How much does it cost to join a trucking association?

Dues vary by association and often by fleet size. Each association lists membership options on its own website; we don't publish dues here because they change.

05

Does every state have a trucking association?

Most states have one, and the American Trucking Associations works with them as a federation. This list includes ten; check ATA's site or search your state's name with trucking association to find yours.

06

Is joining a trucking association required?

No. Membership is voluntary. Your federal and state registrations are what you need to operate; associations are optional support.

07

Can I embed or cite this list?

Yes. Use the cite or embed box on this page. Please link back to this page as the source, and check each association's site for the latest details.

Associations help with the industry. The desk helps with this week.

While you build contacts at meetings and events, we keep every unit loaded with freight you approve.

4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new

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