EIN for a Trucking Company: Who Needs One and When to Get It
Last updated November 9, 2026 · Written by the EIN Registration filing team
Starting a trucking company? We prepare and file the SS-4 and email you the EIN and the IRS confirmation letter, typically the same day (we file within 30 minutes of your order during IRS hours).
Start Now →Where a trucking company uses its EIN
| Where | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| USDOT Number and MC authority (FMCSA) | An EIN or an SSN, with the legal name that goes with it. |
| Form 2290, heavy vehicle use tax (IRS) | An EIN. Trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. |
| Changing the EIN on an FMCSA registration | The IRS EIN confirmation letter. |
| Business bank account | The EIN letter and the company's formation papers. |
| Brokers and shippers | A W-9 with your taxpayer number before they pay you. |
| Payroll, if you hire a driver | An EIN for withholding and employment tax returns. |
Who needs one
- An LLC, corporation or partnership: always. It has no Social Security number, so the EIN is the only number FMCSA can register it under.
- A sole proprietor with a heavy truck: yes, for Form 2290, once the truck's taxable gross weight is 55,000 pounds or more.
- A sole proprietor with employees: yes, for payroll.
- Any other sole proprietor: not required, but FMCSA strongly encourages it. See EIN for a sole proprietor.
Why FMCSA asks sole proprietors to use an EIN
FMCSA's notice for sole proprietors says that personal information used to get a USDOT Number or operating authority is publicly available on its websites. That can include the owner's home address, telephone number and email when those are the business contact details. Registering under an EIN keeps the Social Security number out of the registration.
When to get it
- Form the company first, if there will be one. The EIN is issued in the legal name the state approved. See LLC for a trucking company.
- Get the EIN. Use the exact legal name, and keep the CP 575 letter.
- Then register with FMCSA. The name and address on the application should match the IRS letter. See how to get a DOT number.
- File Form 2290 under the same EIN. The return is due for a truck at 55,000 pounds or more registered in your name, and it does not accept a Social Security number.
If you form an LLC after you already have an EIN
The IRS says a sole proprietor who incorporates needs a new EIN. For a single-member LLC the rule turns on what it files: it can keep using the owner's sole proprietor EIN only when it has no employees and no excise tax returns. Form 2290 is an excise tax return, and its instructions say a single-owner LLC reports excise taxes under its own EIN. The full list is in do I need a new EIN.
After the EIN: the FMCSA filings
We file the EIN and nothing on the FMCSA side. ICR Filings is a separate company we work with. It files the USDOT Number ($199), the MC authority package ($499 plus $355 in government fees), the BOC-3 ($74.99) and UCR (from $174). Prices read on November 9, 2026.
Quick answers
Do I need an EIN to get a DOT number?
An LLC, corporation or partnership does, because FMCSA registers a carrier under an EIN or an SSN and a company has no SSN. A sole proprietor can register under an SSN, but FMCSA strongly encourages an EIN instead.
Does an owner-operator need an EIN?
An owner-operator with a truck at 55,000 pounds or more does, because Form 2290 asks for an EIN. So does one who has employees or runs as an LLC or corporation. A sole proprietor with a lighter truck and no employees is not required to have one, but FMCSA encourages it.
Can I use my Social Security number instead of an EIN for trucking?
A sole proprietor can register with FMCSA under an SSN. FMCSA warns that personal information used to register is published on its websites, and Form 2290 does not take an SSN, so most owner-operators get an EIN.
Do I get the EIN before or after the DOT number?
Before. The FMCSA application asks for the EIN and the legal name, and the name has to match the IRS letter. If the business is an LLC, the order is LLC, EIN, then USDOT Number.
How long does an EIN take for a trucking company?
The IRS issues an EIN at the end of its online application when the application goes through. When it does not, Form SS-4 goes by fax, which takes about 11 business days. Through us, typically the same day: we file within 30 minutes of your order during IRS hours. Get it before you start the FMCSA application, because that application asks for it.
Who can get the EIN for my trucking company?
We do: we prepare and file Form SS-4 for a flat $197 and email you the EIN and the IRS letter. The IRS does not charge for an EIN if you apply yourself. For the FMCSA side, ICR Filings, a partner company, files the USDOT Number for $199.
I leased on to a carrier. Do I need my own EIN?
Form 2290 is filed by whoever the truck is registered to. If a truck at 55,000 pounds or more is registered in your name, you file the return even while you run under the carrier's authority, and the return needs an EIN.
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Related guides
- How to Get a DOT Number (and Why the EIN Comes First) A USDOT Number comes from FMCSA, which registers a carrier under an EIN or SSN. Who needs one, the order to do it in, and when you also need an MC number.
- LLC for a Trucking Company: What to File, in Order FMCSA does not require an LLC, but the company and its EIN come before the USDOT number. The six filings in order and who files each one.
- LLC for a Box Truck Business: The Steps, and Which Filings Apply Form the LLC, get its EIN, then register the truck if it is rated 10,001 pounds or more and works across state lines. Which filings a box truck needs.
- EIN for a Sole Proprietor: Why Most Get One, and When It Becomes Mandatory Most sole proprietors get an EIN to keep their SSN off W-9s, to open a business account, and to be ready to hire. It becomes mandatory with the first employee. What the SS-4 asks a sole proprietor.
- IRS CP 575 Letter (Your EIN Letter): What It Is and Where to Find Yours The EIN letter the IRS issues when it assigns the number, created once and never reissued. What it contains, where your copy went depending on how you applied, and what banks accept instead.
- Do I Need a New EIN? The Full Scenario Table A new EIN is needed when the taxpayer changes, not when its details do. Name changes, new partners, and S-corp elections keep it; incorporating, sole prop to partnership, and a trust turning irrevocable need a new one.
Sources
You can also apply for an EIN directly with the IRS at irs.gov at no cost.