Government Freight Contracts: How Trucking Companies Win Federal and Postal Freight

Government contracts for trucking are freight and transportation awards bought by federal, postal, military, state and local agencies, and a trucking company wins them by registering in SAM.gov, matching its NAICS codes and certifications to open solicitations, and meeting each buyer’s own carrier requirements. The main buyers are the United States Postal Service (USPS) for mail transportation, the Department of Defense through the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) for military freight, the General Services Administration (GSA), and state and local agencies.

Most small carriers do not start as prime contractors. The realistic path is registration first, then subcontract work for primes and brokers that already hold government freight, then direct bids once the company has a track record. This guide describes the programs and processes. It does not give dollar thresholds, because those change by solicitation and year.

Who buys freight from trucking companies in the public sector?

The public sector buys freight through four main channels: USPS surface transportation, DoD military freight, civilian federal agencies, and state and local governments.

Buyer	What it buys	How carriers get in
USPS	Highway Contract Routes (HCR) and other surface transportation for mail between postal facilities	Register as a surface transportation supplier through the USPS Logistics Gateway, then respond to solicitations
DoD (SDDC)	Freight moves for the military, from general freight to sensitive and protected shipments	Register in the Freight Carrier Registration Program (FCRP), then tender through SDDC’s rate and tender systems
GSA and civilian agencies	Household goods and freight moves, supply and equipment shipments	SAM.gov registration and agency solicitations, often through prime contractors or transportation service providers
State and local agencies	Highway department materials, school and public works supplies, surplus and disaster logistics	State and local procurement portals and vendor registration

USPS. The Postal Service tells suppliers on its supplier page (https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/becoming/) that surface transportation suppliers register in the Logistics Gateway, while other suppliers use the Supplier eSourcing system. Highway Contract Routes are the standard way mail moves by truck between plants, post offices and hubs, and they are awarded through postal solicitations.

DoD and SDDC. The Surface Deployment and Distribution Command manages military freight transportation. Carriers that want to haul DoD freight register in its Freight Carrier Registration Program (https://www.sddc.army.mil/SitePages/FCRP.aspx). The program’s welcome package (https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2025/08/19/778078fb/20-mar-2025-fcrp-welcome-package.pdf) states carrier requirements such as three consecutive years of active, uninterrupted FMCSA operating authority and separate cargo insurance for each SCAC (Standard Carrier Alpha Code). Some freight, such as Transportation Protective Services shipments, carries additional requirements and is limited to qualified asset-based carriers.

Always read the current welcome package and program rules from SDDC before applying, because eligibility and open-season timing change.

How do you register to sell to the government?

Register your company in SAM.gov, the federal System for Award Management, which issues a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is required to bid on and be paid for federal contracts, and it is free.

SAM.gov states that no fee applies to getting a UEI, registering and keeping the registration current (https://sam.gov). Companies that charge for this are third parties filing on your behalf. The registration must be renewed every year. Have ready:

1. Legal business name, address, EIN and bank details
2. FMCSA USDOT number and MC authority, since agencies verify carrier standing
3. NAICS codes that describe your work
4. Small business and socioeconomic certifications, if you hold any
5. A named point of contact

Registration can take time to activate, so complete it before you need it.

Which NAICS codes apply to trucking?

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes classify the work you do. Solicitations list a NAICS code, and the SBA size standard attached to that code determines whether your company counts as small for that bid.

NAICS	Description
484110	General freight trucking, local
484121	General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload
484122	General freight trucking, long-distance, less than truckload
484210	Used household and office goods moving
484220	Specialized freight trucking, local
484230	Specialized freight trucking, long-distance

List every code that fits what you actually operate. Verify the current code titles and the SBA size standards on the SBA site (https://www.sba.gov) before certifying size, because size standards are updated.

Which small business certifications help trucking companies win contracts?

The SBA runs the main federal small business certifications: 8(a) Business Development, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Certification makes a company eligible for set-aside and sole-source awards reserved for those groups.

Certification	Who qualifies	Where to apply
8(a) Business Development	Small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; a nine-year program	certify.sba.gov
WOSB / EDWOSB	Small businesses owned and controlled by women; economically disadvantaged women for EDWOSB	certify.sba.gov
HUBZone	Small businesses located in and employing residents of historically underutilized zones	certify.sba.gov
SDVOSB	Small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, certified through SBA’s VetCert program	veterans.certify.sba.gov

The SBA lists all of these at https://www.sba.gov/certifications/. A company can hold more than one if it qualifies. Certification is not required to sell to the government, and plain small-business status often is enough, but set-asides reduce the number of competitors on a solicitation.

Where do you find government trucking opportunities?

Search SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, the USPS supplier systems, state procurement portals and the subcontracting pages of large federal contractors.

• SAM.gov Contract Opportunities (https://sam.gov/opportunities): searching is free and needs no registration. Filter by NAICS code, set-aside type and agency. Postal opportunities may also appear there, but the USPS Logistics Gateway is the primary channel for surface transportation.
• USPS Logistics Gateway and Supplier eSourcing: for Highway Contract Routes and other mail transportation.
• SDDC FCRP and rate tender programs: for military freight, after the carrier registration process.
• State and local procurement portals: every state has a vendor registration system, and many cities, counties and school districts run their own.
• Subcontracting opportunities: federal contractors above certain contract sizes must plan to use small businesses, so their supplier diversity pages and events list how to register as a subcontract carrier.

Set up saved searches for your NAICS codes and lanes, and review them weekly.

What requirements go beyond normal commercial freight?

Government freight adds documentation, insurance, past performance and, for some DoD moves, security requirements to the standard FMCSA compliance a carrier already holds.

• Standing and history: active MC authority, a satisfactory safety rating and, for SDDC, the multi-year authority requirement noted above.
• Insurance: limits stated in the solicitation or program rules, sometimes separate coverage per SCAC.
• Past performance: references and records of on-time delivery on similar work.
• Security and equipment: protected shipments carry additional equipment, driver and handling requirements that are specific to each program.
• Payment terms and paperwork: federal payment processes use their own invoicing and reporting systems.

Review the solicitation’s instructions and evaluation factors before preparing a bid. Government buyers state how proposals will be scored.

What is a capability statement and what goes in it?

A capability statement is a one-page summary of a company’s services, qualifications and past work that government buyers and prime contractors use to screen vendors. It works like a resume for the company.

Include:

1. Company data: legal name, UEI, CAGE code if assigned, NAICS codes, certifications, address and contact
2. Core competencies: the equipment types, lanes, and services you run (dry van, flatbed, refrigerated, hazmat)
3. Fleet and compliance snapshot: USDOT and MC numbers, safety record, insurance
4. Past performance: two to four relevant jobs with customer, period, scope and result
5. Differentiators: specific, verifiable strengths, such as coverage of a region or specialized equipment

Keep it to one page as a PDF, matched to your SAM.gov record. Send it to procurement officers, supplier diversity managers at prime contractors and the freight brokers that hold government accounts.

What is the easiest government freight contract to get as a small carrier?

The easiest entry point is usually subcontract work for a prime contractor, broker or larger carrier that already holds government freight, because it needs a track record less than a direct federal award does.

A realistic sequence:

1. Complete SAM.gov registration and gather your NAICS codes, insurance and capability statement.
2. Contact primes, brokers and third-party logistics firms that serve government customers, and ask how to join their carrier networks.
3. Handle subcontracted loads to build past-performance references and a clean service record.
4. Apply to the programs that fit your fleet, such as USPS surface transportation or the SDDC FCRP, once you meet their eligibility rules.
5. Bid on small, local solicitations from state and local agencies as a way to learn the process.

A new carrier also has to survive the authority-age problem described in our guide on how to start a trucking company. Programs such as SDDC’s require years of continuous authority, so a company with a few months of history will not qualify for some of them yet.

How does a trucking company get found by government and prime buyers?

Procurement officers and prime contractors research vendors online, so a trucking company needs a website that shows its authority, equipment, service area, certifications and a downloadable capability statement. A clear company name, a Google Business Profile and a short list of past customers also help buyers verify the company.

Your name matters here: see our trucking company names guide for naming and registration points. For search visibility and sales tactics beyond government work, read our trucking marketing guide and the trucking industry page. To build the website, capability statement page and outreach lists as one program, see our B2B digital marketing services.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get government trucking contracts?

Register in SAM.gov to get a UEI, list your NAICS codes, build a capability statement, and register with the buyer you want: USPS through its Logistics Gateway or the military through SDDC’s Freight Carrier Registration Program. Monitor SAM.gov, the state portals and prime contractors for opportunities and start with subcontract work.

Are there government grants to start a trucking company?

There is no federal grant program that funds a new trucking company as such. The SBA does not make direct business loans either: it guarantees a portion of loans made by participating lenders. Some state, rural development and veteran programs exist, so check the SBA site and your state economic development office for current programs.

Does a trucking company need an SBA certification to win government contracts?

No. Certifications such as 8(a), WOSB, HUBZone and SDVOSB open set-aside and sole-source awards, but a small business without certification can still compete on open solicitations and subcontract to primes.

Is SAM.gov registration free?

Yes. The government charges nothing to obtain a Unique Entity ID, register or renew in SAM.gov. Companies that charge a fee are third-party filing services.

What NAICS code should a trucking company use?

Use the codes that match your operations: 484110 for local general freight, 484121 for long-distance truckload, 484122 for long-distance less than truckload, and 484220 or 484230 for specialized freight. List all that apply in SAM.gov.

Sources

• SAM.gov: https://sam.gov
• USPS supplier registration: https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/becoming/
• SDDC FCRP: https://www.sddc.army.mil/SitePages/FCRP.aspx
• SBA certifications: https://www.sba.gov/certifications/