Trucking and regulatory
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.
Why it matters
A local container company that never crosses a state line may think federal trucking rules do not apply to it. That is not always true. FMCSA notes that some states require their intrastate commercial vehicle operators to obtain a USDOT number, and some states adopt federal safety rules for in-state trips. A company that starts a delivery in one state and later takes the same container across a state line may become an interstate carrier for that trip. Operators should check both federal and state rules and not guess based on how far they drive.
Read: Safety and compliance for container delivery: DOT, FMCSA, CDL and OSHA
Definition source: fmcsa.dot.gov
Related terms
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.
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.
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.
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.
local move
A local move is a move within the same area, usually the same city or region. With portable storage, the provider delivers a container, the customer loads it, and the provider takes it to the new address or to a storage center. The customer does not need a rental truck.
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