NAICS code for trucking: which 484 code fits your company

Every federal form that asks what kind of business you run wants a NAICS code, and for trucking the answer is somewhere in subsector 484. Which six-digit code you pick depends on two questions: is your freight general or specialized, and is it local or long-distance?

The 484 codes, from top to bottom

484 Truck Transportation

Six codes, split by freight type and distance

1. 484110

   General freight, local

   Box trucks and vans running within a metro area

2. 484121

   General freight, long-distance, truckload

   Dry van and reefer lanes, one shipper per load

3. 484122

   General freight, long-distance, LTL

   Many shipments per trailer through terminals

4. 484210

   Used household and office goods moving

   Movers, not freight carriers

5. 484220

   Specialized freight, local

   Dump, local flatbed, local tank

6. 484230

   Specialized freight, long-distance

   Flatbed, step deck, heavy haul, tank, car hauling

"General freight" means freight that doesn't need special equipment: boxed, palletized, the kind that goes in a dry van or reefer. "Specialized freight" means it does: flatbed and step deck loads, liquid or dry bulk in tanks, heavy haul, car hauling. "Local" is work within a metropolitan area and nearby; "long-distance" is everything farther.

The codes and their SBA size standards

The size standard is the average annual receipts below which the SBA treats a company as small for its programs. Nearly every carrier with one to ten trucks is far below it.

Where the code matters

SBA programs and loans. SBA lenders use your NAICS code to confirm you're a small business under the size standard. A carrier that's clearly small won't have trouble here; the code mostly needs to be accurate.

Federal contracts. If you ever bid on government freight, solicitations list a NAICS code, and your registration needs to include it.

Tax forms. IRS business forms ask for a principal business activity code drawn from NAICS. The IRS list isn't always identical to the NAICS table, so use the code printed in your form's instructions for the year you're filing.

Insurance and credit applications. These often ask for a code too. Pick the one that matches the freight you haul.

What it doesn't affect: your operating authority, your USDOT number, your CDL requirements or your insurance minimums. Those come from FMCSA rules, not from the code.

Picking yours

EXAMPLE A carrier runs two reefers on regional lanes from Georgia to the Midwest and one flatbed hauling building materials within 150 miles of home. Most revenue comes from the reefers on long lanes, so the primary code is 484121. If the flatbed side grows into the bigger business, the code can change to 484220 or 484230 later.

If your freight is mixed, use the code for the largest share of revenue. If you're not sure, ask your accountant which code your tax return uses and match it on other forms, so the same company doesn't look like three different businesses.

For the rest of the starting paperwork in order, see how to start a trucking company. If you're still deciding what to haul, the types of trucking guide compares the options, and the truck business plan template has a place for your code.

NAICS, SIC and your USDOT record are different things

Three classification systems show up on trucking paperwork, and they don't replace each other.

NAICS classifies your business by industry for federal statistics, SBA programs, contracts and many tax and insurance forms.

SIC is the older industry system NAICS replaced. Some databases and credit forms still ask for it. If one does, ask whether a NAICS code is accepted instead.

Your FMCSA registration classifies your operation differently: interstate or intrastate, for-hire or private, and the cargo you carry. Those answers decide your authority and insurance, not your NAICS code. Keep them consistent with what you do, because inspectors and auditors read them.

One practical tip: once you pick a code, write it into the same document where you keep your USDOT number, MC number, EIN and UCR receipt. You'll be asked for it again by lenders, insurers and government buyers, and giving the same answer every time keeps your records consistent.

The other identifiers come later and only if your freight needs them: a SCAC for intermodal and some shippers (see what a SCAC code is), and records kept in trucking compliance software once you have several trucks. Your equipment choice matters more to your code than your size; our guide to trucking equipment compares the options, and the trucking company name generator helps with the name that goes on every form. When you run two or more trucks, small fleet dispatch keeps every unit loaded.

This is general information, not tax advice.