Everything Tennessee requires, in order
Each step is its own page, with the Tennessee figures read from the agency that publishes them.
First, the federal side
Identical in every state, and not part of the Tennessee sequence below: get your own authority, USDOT number, Form 2290, and what it all costs.
Before you file
- Start a trucking companyFederal steps plus this state, in order
- DOT numberState USDOT triggers and carrier numbers
- CDLLicense fees, testing, endorsements
State credentials
- Intrastate authorityState operating authority: rule, agency, fee
- Insurance requirementsState liability minimums and insurer filings
Plates, fuel tax and trip permits
- IRP registrationApportioned plates and cab cards
- IFTAFuel tax license, decals, filing
- Trip and fuel permitsTemporary IRP and IFTA permits
Permits and state taxes
- Trucking permitsEvery state permit a carrier may need
- Oversize permitsLegal limits, permit fees, escorts
How Tennessee organizes trucking compliance
Three agencies own different pieces of your file, and the split is cleaner than in most states.
The Department of Revenue's Vehicle Services Division handles intrastate authority, the International Fuel Tax Agreement, the International Registration Plan, and Unified Carrier Registration guidance. All four live inside a single login, the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point. The Department of Transportation handles oversize and overweight permits through its own system, TNTRIPS, and takes nothing by phone or email. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security handles drivers and issues the CDL.
So a new Tennessee carrier normally ends up with two accounts rather than the four or five its neighbors demand: one at Revenue for money and credentials, one at TDOT if the loads run over the legal lines.
What you will find here
The intrastate authority page owns the Tennessee answer: who actually needs state authority, what it costs, the insurance schedule the state prints on its own application, and the Intrastate Permit Card you get instead of a state carrier number. The permits pages cover the statewide size and weight table, the ton mile pricing that makes an overweight move cost what it does, escorts, and the travel restrictions that ride on every permit.
The IFTA and IRP pages cover base jurisdiction licensing, the quarterly return, apportioned plate math, and the proof of business location Tennessee asks for before it lets you base here. The guide pages fill the gaps around those: the CDL page carries the Driver Services fee lines and the testing rules, the DOT number page carries the answer most Tennessee carriers are surprised by, and the trip and fuel permits page carries the two temporary credentials the state sells through contractors.
Every figure on those pages is a data field tied to the agency page it was read from. Where an agency publishes nothing, we record nothing and say why.
Tennessee filing walkthroughs
Step-by-step articles for the recurring Tennessee filings, written against the same sourced records as the pages above.
- Tennessee IFTA Filing Walkthrough (Quarterly)
How a Tennessee carrier opens an IFTA account in TNTAP on Form RV-R0011801, files each quarter, and stays off the dormancy list.
- Tennessee Oversize Permit Cost: Worked Examples
Four worked Tennessee oversize moves: the flat width bands, the per ton mile weight charge, and the Highway Patrol escort floor.
Free calculators that cover Tennessee
- Trucking startup cost calculator estimates your launch budget by state.
- IFTA calculator applies the current quarterly rates to your miles and gallons.
- Oversize permit cost estimator prices a permit by state and dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tennessee require its own operating authority?
Yes, but not from everyone. Intrastate authority covers for-hire motor carriers hauling persons or property inside Tennessee, plus one private category, towing and wrecker services. A private fleet hauling its own goods is not listed. Our Tennessee intrastate authority page walks the triggers, the fees, and the insurance schedule with sources.
Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Tennessee?
The Department of Revenue for intrastate authority, IFTA, and apportioned registration, all in TNTAP. The Department of Transportation for oversize and overweight permits, in TNTRIPS. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security for the CDL. Plan on separate logins with Revenue and TDOT.
Do I need a USDOT number to run only inside Tennessee?
Tennessee does not appear on the federal list of states that make their intrastate registrants get one, and no Tennessee page or form says an intrastate-only carrier must hold a number. That puts Tennessee on the opposite side of the line from Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Alabama. Our Tennessee DOT number page has the sourced detail.
Where do the numbers on these Tennessee pages come from?
Each one is a data field tied to the Revenue, TDOT, Safety, or statutory page it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Tennessee's own agencies contradict each other in a handful of places, and those are recorded as conflicts on the row they affect rather than quietly resolved in our favor.
Sources for this page
The official pages behind the figures above. Fees and rules change, so check the source before you file.
- Intrastate Authority · Tennessee Department of Revenue
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.