---
title: "interstate commerce: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "Interstate commerce is trade, traffic or transportation in the United States between a place in a state and a place outside that state."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/interstate-commerce
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Trucking and regulatory

# interstate commerce

Interstate commerce is trade, traffic or transportation in the United States between a place in a state and a place outside that state. It also covers trips between two places in one state that pass through another state. FMCSA uses this definition to decide which federal motor carrier rules apply.

## Why it matters

A long-distance container move that crosses state lines is interstate commerce. So is a delivery that starts in one state, passes through another and ends back in the first. FMCSA says companies that operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce must register and hold a USDOT number. The page also names a vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more as one trigger. A common mistake is to focus on the miles. The line that matters is the state border, and also where the goods began and ended their trip. When in doubt, ask FMCSA or a qualified adviser.

[Read: Safety and compliance for container delivery: DOT, FMCSA, CDL and OSHA](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/guides/dot-fmcsa-osha-compliance)

Definition source: [fmcsa.dot.gov](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number)

## Related terms

[### intrastate commerce Intrastate commerce is trade, traffic or transportation that begins and ends inside one state and stays within that state. It is the opposite of interstate commerce. FMCSA's federal rules center on interstate commerce, but states apply their own rules to trips that stay inside the state.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/intrastate-commerce)[### USDOT number A USDOT number is the unique identifier that FMCSA gives to a company that operates commercial vehicles. It is used to collect and monitor a company's safety information from audits, reviews, crash investigations and inspections. Federal rules decide who must register.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/usdot-number)[### DOT number A DOT number is an identifier assigned to a company that operates commercial vehicles. Most people mean the USDOT number issued by FMCSA. It tracks a carrier's safety record from audits, inspections and crash reports. Rules differ by state for in-state carriers.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/dot-number)[### MC number An MC number is a form of FMCSA operating authority. It is required, along with a USDOT number, for many for-hire interstate carriers. It is also called a docket number. FMCSA also uses FF and MX numbers for other authority types.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/mc-number)[### long distance move A long distance move is a move to a distant city or another state. With portable storage, the customer loads a container at home, the provider moves it by third-party carrier to the new area, and a local team delivers it for unloading. The customer does not drive a truck.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/long-distance-move)[### FMCSA FMCSA is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It writes and enforces safety rules for commercial motor vehicles and carriers, and it handles registration for interstate carriers. Its rules are in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/fmcsa)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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