What is a SCAC code in trucking, and do you need one?
By Edwin Horton · Updated
A SCAC is one of three numbers people confuse when starting a trucking company. Your USDOT number and MC number come from FMCSA and are required. A SCAC comes from a trade association, and whether you need one depends entirely on the freight you haul.
Three identifiers, one carrier
Carrier identifiers
EXAMPLEWhere each one appears on a single EXAMPLE carrier's paperwork.
- 1USDOT NUMBER
- 0000000
- 2MC NUMBER
- MC-000000
- 3SCAC
- EXCR
- 4LEGAL NAME
- EXAMPLE CARRIER LLC
| Identifier | Issued by | Who requires it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDOT number | FMCSA | Interstate commercial motor vehicle operators | Part of FMCSA registration |
| MC number (operating authority) | FMCSA | Interstate for-hire carriers of regulated freight | $300 registration fee FMCSA registration application fee$30049 CFR 360.3 fee schedule: $300 for an application for USDOT registration (49 CFR part 390, subpart E). The same schedule lists no fee for designating a process agent (Form BOC-3).49 CFR 360.3Checked Oct 2026 |
| SCAC | NMFTA | Intermodal, government, many large shippers, cross-border systems | $110 online, renewed yearly SCAC assignment fee$110 online ($127 by phone or mail); renewal $104 onlineNMFTA fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for assigning a Standard Carrier Alpha Code. Codes renew annually. Non-Class 8 carriers pay an extra $5 identity verification fee.NMFTA, SCAC pricing, 2026Checked Oct 2026 |
Who needs a SCAC
Intermodal and port work. Container and rail interchange systems identify carriers by SCAC, and most intermodal agreements ask for one.
Government freight. Federal shipping programs commonly require a SCAC on file.
Large shippers with their own systems. Many big shippers route tenders and payments through electronic systems keyed to a SCAC. If you want their freight directly, you'll need one.
Cross-border. Freight entering the U.S. from Canada uses electronic manifests that identify the carrier by code, and the shipment control number on a PAPS label starts with the carrier's SCAC. Our guide to the PAPS number explains how.
Who usually doesn't: a carrier hauling truckload freight booked through brokers. Brokers set you up by MC number and legal name.
Getting and keeping one
You apply to NMFTA. The fee schedule changes each July; for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 it's $110 online or $127 by phone or mail to assign a code, and $104 online to renew SCAC assignment fee$110 online ($127 by phone or mail); renewal $104 onlineNMFTA fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for assigning a Standard Carrier Alpha Code. Codes renew annually. Non-Class 8 carriers pay an extra $5 identity verification fee.NMFTA, SCAC pricing, 2026Checked Oct 2026. Codes renew annually. A lapsed code may need reinstatement at extra cost, and some systems will reject tenders tied to an inactive code.
EXAMPLE A three-truck reefer fleet hauls only broker freight for two years and never needs a SCAC. Then a grocery distributor offers a weekly lane, but its routing system requires one. The carrier applies online, pays the fee, gets the code, and adds it to its packet with the distributor. Nothing else changes.
Our view: don't buy a SCAC until freight asks for it. When it does, get it quickly, set a calendar reminder for renewal, and add it to your carrier packet.
For the identifiers every carrier does need, start with how to start a trucking company.
Where you'll see your SCAC
Once you have one, it starts showing up in a lot of places:
- Bills of lading from shippers who use it to identify the carrier.
- EDI messages for tenders, status updates and invoices with large shippers. Our guide to EDI for trucking explains how those systems work.
- Intermodal interchange agreements and gate systems at ports and rail ramps.
- Customs filings for cross-border freight, including the shipment control number on a PAPS label.
- Government shipping systems that pay carriers through electronic billing.
Keeping it current
A SCAC isn't a one-time purchase. It renews each year, and a lapsed code can cause tenders or payments to fail in systems that check it. Put the renewal date on the calendar next to your UCR and insurance renewals, keep the company details on the NMFTA record matching your FMCSA legal name, and update both if you ever change names.
SCAC and your other carrier records
Your SCAC record at NMFTA, your FMCSA registration and your carrier packets should all show the same legal name and contact details. Shippers' systems cross-check them, and a mismatch can hold up a tender or a payment. If you change your company name or address, update NMFTA along with FMCSA, your insurer and your brokers.
EXAMPLE A carrier with an active SCAC moves offices and updates FMCSA but forgets NMFTA. A large shipper's system sends tender confirmations to the old contact on the SCAC record for two weeks before anyone notices. Updating every record together avoids it.
Our advice for owners chasing intermodal or government freight: apply for the SCAC early, and add it to your rate confirmations, invoices and carrier packets as soon as it's assigned. Customers who need it look for it, and having it ready signals a carrier that's done this before.
Keeping identifiers, renewals and driver records straight gets harder with every truck; trucking compliance software can track the dates. Not every acronym in trucking is a carrier code: SAP, for example, is the substance abuse professional process for drivers, and the NAICS code for trucking is a business classification. Picking a name before you apply? Try the trucking company name generator.
SCAC code questions
01What is a SCAC code in trucking?
A short letter code that identifies your company in bills of lading, electronic data interchange, intermodal systems and customs filings. It's assigned by NMFTA, not by FMCSA.
02Do owner-operators need a SCAC code?
Only if your freight requires it. Many truckload carriers hauling for brokers never need one. You'll need one for intermodal container work, some government freight, many large shippers' systems and cross-border shipments.
03How much does a SCAC code cost?
NMFTA's published fee for July 2026 through June 2027 is $110 to assign a code online and $104 to renew online, with higher prices by phone or mail. Codes renew every year.
04Is a SCAC the same as an MC number?
No. The MC number is your FMCSA operating authority. The USDOT number identifies you for safety. The SCAC is a commercial code used in shipping systems. Each comes from a different place and does a different job.
05How long does it take to get a SCAC?
NMFTA processes applications on its own schedule. Apply before you start chasing freight that requires a code, so it's not the thing holding up a load.
06What letters can a SCAC code use?
A SCAC is a short code made of letters, assigned by NMFTA, which avoids duplicates and reserves some letter patterns for other uses such as freight containers. When you apply, NMFTA assigns the code; check its help pages for the current format rules.