Draylo Data · updated monthly from the federal record
How many freight brokers are there in the US?
As of September 2026, 25,081 entities hold active freight broker authority in FMCSA's authority file — the population that can legally broker a load today.
We compute this from the federal authority record itself, not from registration codes — an important distinction, because the registration census is much bigger: 148,649 registrations currently carry a broker operating classification. A registration is intent, not authority. In our analysis of the July 2026 file, roughly 45% of entities that registered broker intent over the prior 1–2 years never obtained authority at all — they registered, and stopped there. Counting registrations as "brokers" overstates the market several-fold; this page doesn't.
What's inside the 25,081
Every entity holding active broker authority, split by whether it also holds active carrier authority.
Both counts come from the same authority file, so the rows sum exactly to the headline.
The registration funnel — why bigger numbers circulate
Registration is intent; authority is granted. Roughly half of recent registrants never complete the journey (bond, process agent, protest period) — measured from the July 2026 federal files.
The carrier side — who those brokers are booking
Same federal authority file, carrier side: 379,061 US carriers hold active operating authority as of September 2026.
Most pending revocations trace to an insurance cancellation: the insurer files notice, a 30‑day clock runs, and the carrier either replaces coverage or loses authority. The flag is live in the federal record the whole time — but invisible in the standard safety snapshot most brokers check. A carrier cleared last quarter can be under notice today.
From our July 2026 analysis of the same files: about half of active carriers are one‑truck operations, and roughly one in three had zero roadside inspections in the prior 24 months — authority that has never been tested, booked on faith.
Both counts recompute monthly from the full authority file. The free carrier check surfaces the revocation-pending flag on any USDOT or MC number.
Monthly trend
| Month | Active broker authorities | Broker-class registrations | New registrations | New (frame diff) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 · to date | 25,081 | 148,649 | — | 25,939 |
| August 2026 | 25,081 | 112,665 | 378 | 261 |
| July 2026 | 25,081 | 133,294 | 419 | — |
| June 2026 | — | — | 446 | — |
| May 2026 | — | — | 493 | — |
| April 2026 | — | — | 646 | — |
| March 2026 | — | — | 689 | — |
| February 2026 | — | — | 527 | — |
How many freight brokers are there in the United States?
As of September 2026, 25,081 entities hold ACTIVE freight broker authority in FMCSA's authority file. That is the real, granted-authority count — recomputed monthly from the federal record. A much larger population (148,649 registrations) carries a broker operating classification in the census, but a registration is intent, not authority: in our analysis of the July 2026 file, roughly 45% of entities that registered broker intent over the prior 1-2 years never obtained authority at all.
How many new freight brokers enter the market each month?
In August 2026, 378 entities registered a broker operating classification with FMCSA (counted by registration date). Registration is the top of the funnel — authority grants follow by weeks for the roughly half of registrants who complete the process (bond, process agent, protest period). The trend table shows recent months including the current month to date. The month-over-month snapshot comparison shows 25,939 newly appearing broker-class registrations in the latest frame diff.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from FMCSA's public files: the authority file (the federal record of granted operating authority — our headline) and the registration census (every registered entity — the funnel layers). We archive both in full every month and compute the counts from the raw rows. No estimates, no third-party aggregators.
Why do other sources cite anywhere from 25,000 to 130,000 freight brokers?
Because they measure different layers of one funnel, usually without saying which. The layers, from widest to narrowest: 4,494,845 registered entities of all types → 148,649 registrations carrying a broker operating classification (intent — including the roughly half of recent registrants who never obtain authority, and long-dormant records) → 25,081 entities holding ACTIVE broker authority (this page's headline — the population that can legally broker a load today) → an even smaller number of firms whose primary business is brokerage. Counts that don't state their layer aren't comparable; ours states it and updates monthly.
How many active carriers are under a pending revocation notice?
As of September 2026, 13,893 of the 379,061 US carriers holding active operating authority — roughly 1 in 27 — carry a pending revocation flag in the federal authority file. Pending means filed, not yet effective: most trace to an insurance cancellation, and the carrier either replaces coverage or loses authority. The flag is invisible in the standard safety snapshot brokers usually check; Draylo surfaces it on every free carrier check.
How many brokers are carrier-broker hybrids?
2,757 of the 25,081 entities with active broker authority (11%) also hold active carrier authority — trucking companies that can broker freight they don't haul themselves. The remaining 22,324 hold broker authority only. (Self-reported census operation codes suggest far more "hybrids" — but codes are declared intent; these counts are granted, active authorities.)
Method: the headline counts entities whose broker authority status is ACTIVE in FMCSA's public authority file (archived monthly, computed from raw rows). The registration-funnel figures come from FMCSA's registration census (operating-classification codes = declared intent). The two are different federal records measuring different things; this page never conflates them. Citing this page? Link to it — the numbers update monthly. · More Draylo research