Powered by LevrThe NAICS code for most trucking companies is in subsector 484, truck transportation. A long haul dry van carrier is 484121. A local general freight hauler is 484110. Flatbed, tanker, reefer and other specialized carriers are 484220 for local work and 484230 for long distance. Freight brokers and dispatchers are not truckers in NAICS terms; they use 488510.
If your operation mixes several of these, describe it in the NAICS code calculator and it returns the code that fits your main revenue.
Trucking NAICS codes at a glance
| Code | Title | Plain English | SBA size standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 484110 | General Freight Trucking, Local | Dry freight within a metro area and its surrounding region, usually same day | $34.0M receipts |
| 484121 | General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload | Full trailer loads of general freight between metro areas | $34.0M receipts |
| 484122 | General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload | Consolidated partial loads through terminals | $43.0M receipts |
| 484210 | Used Household and Office Goods Moving | Household and office movers | $34.0M receipts |
| 484220 | Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local | Flatbed, tanker, dump, reefer and other specialized loads, local | $34.0M receipts |
| 484230 | Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance | Same specialized equipment, long distance | $34.0M receipts |
| 488510 | Freight Transportation Arrangement | Freight brokers, freight forwarders, dispatch services | $20.0M receipts |
| 492110 | Couriers and Express Delivery Services | Parcel networks and express delivery | 1,500 employees |
Size standards are from the SBA Table of Size Standards (13 CFR 121.201), in average annual receipts unless shown in employees.
General freight versus specialized freight
This is the first split and the one that matters most.
General freight (4841) is cargo that does not need special equipment. It moves in a standard enclosed van or container: palletized goods, boxed retail freight, packaged food that does not need temperature control. Most dry van carriers are general freight.
Specialized freight (4842) is cargo that needs specialized equipment because of its size, weight, shape or other characteristics. NAICS names flatbeds, tankers and refrigerated trailers as examples. That puts these operations in specialized freight:
- Flatbed and step deck carriers hauling steel, lumber or machinery
- Tanker carriers hauling fuel, chemicals or milk
- Reefer carriers hauling temperature controlled food
- Dump truck operators hauling sand, gravel and aggregate
- Car haulers, livestock haulers and heavy haul carriers
Local versus long distance
The second split is distance. NAICS defines local trucking as operating within a metropolitan area and its adjacent nonurban areas, with trips that generally return the same day. Long distance trucking runs between metropolitan areas, often across state lines.
If you do both, use the one that earns more revenue. A regional carrier running 400 mile lanes with drivers home weekly is long distance. A dump truck business working job sites within one county is local, 484220.
Truckload versus less than truckload
Long distance general freight splits again. Truckload (484121) means one shipper fills the trailer and it goes straight from origin to destination. Less than truckload (484122) means the carrier combines freight from many shippers and moves it through a terminal network. Almost every owner operator and small fleet is truckload. LTL is a terminal network business.
The owner operator case
Owner operators are classified by the freight they haul, not by the fact that they own one truck. The entity type does not change the code.
| Owner operator profile | Code |
|---|---|
| Dry van, long haul, leased on to a carrier or under own authority | 484121 |
| Dry van, local or regional same day runs | 484110 |
| Flatbed, step deck or conestoga, long distance | 484230 |
| Reefer, long distance | 484230 |
| Dump truck, local construction work | 484220 |
| Box truck doing final mile delivery for a parcel network | 484110, or 492110 for courier work |
On Schedule C, the IRS business activity code list groups some of these. It uses 484110 for local general freight, 484120 for long distance general freight and 484200 for specialized freight. Use those on the tax return and the full six digit NAICS code on loan applications and SAM.gov. Our page on the NAICS code on your tax return explains why the lists differ.
Hot shot trucking
Hot shot carriers usually run a heavy duty pickup with a gooseneck or flatbed trailer, hauling time sensitive loads such as oilfield parts, machinery and construction materials. Because the trailer is a flatbed and the freight is typically specialized, hot shot operations fit 484220 for local work and 484230 for long distance. A hot shot hauler pulling an enclosed trailer of general freight belongs in 484110 or 484121.
Dispatching and freight brokerage
If you do not haul the freight yourself, you are not in subsector 484. Freight brokers, freight forwarders and independent truck dispatchers who arrange loads for carriers are in 488510, freight transportation arrangement. A carrier that also runs a brokerage desk uses the code for whichever earns more revenue; many keep the brokerage in a separate entity with its own code.
Couriers and final mile
Businesses that deliver parcels and packages through a network, including many final mile contractors, fit 492110, couriers and express delivery services. Local messenger and delivery services that run point to point within a single area fit 492210. Final mile carriers that haul larger freight such as furniture and appliances usually stay in 484110.
How lenders view trucking codes
Trucking is one of the industries lenders watch most closely. Fuel costs, freight rates and insurance move quickly, and many fleets are small. That does not make trucking hard to finance; it makes the product choice matter. Our page on NAICS codes and business loans explains how lenders set appetite by code.
Financing trucking businesses use
| Product | What it funds | Why it fits trucking |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment financing | Tractors, trailers, reefers, dump trucks | The truck is the collateral, so approval follows resale value |
| Freight factoring | Cash for unpaid freight bills | Gets paid in a day or two instead of waiting 30 to 60 days on brokers and shippers |
| Fuel cards and fuel lines | Diesel at the pump | Smooths fuel spend between settlements |
| Working capital lines | Repairs, insurance down payments, payroll | Covers the gaps between loads |
| SBA 7(a) loans | Fleet expansion, terminals, refinancing | Longer terms for established carriers |
New authorities usually start with equipment financing and factoring, since both underwrite the asset or the customer more than the carrier's history. Established fleets with two or more years of tax returns qualify for working capital lines and SBA loans.
Start an application and the AI matches the deal to lenders that fund your code, including lenders that specialize in trucking equipment and freight factoring.
Questions people ask
What is the NAICS code for trucking?
It depends on the freight and distance. General freight is 484110 for local and 484121 for long distance truckload. Specialized freight such as flatbed, tanker or reefer is 484220 local or 484230 long distance.
What NAICS code should an owner operator use?
An owner operator who hauls dry van loads long distance uses 484121. One who pulls a flatbed, tanker or reefer uses 484230 for long distance or 484220 for local work.
What is the NAICS code for hot shot trucking?
Hot shot loads are usually flatbed or specialized equipment, so 484220 for local runs and 484230 for long distance. A hot shot carrier hauling general freight in an enclosed trailer uses 484110 or 484121.
What is the NAICS code for a freight broker or truck dispatcher?
Freight brokers and independent truck dispatchers use 488510, freight transportation arrangement, because they arrange shipments rather than haul them.
What is the SBA size standard for trucking?
Most trucking codes carry a $34 million average annual receipts standard. Long distance less than truckload, 484122, is $43 million.