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Tennessee trucking rules

Fees, CDL costs, weight and size limits, chain laws and new bills for truckers and trucking companies in Tennessee. Updated 2026-10-21.

Must-know rules · Weight, oversize & chains · Fees · Bills

Must-know rules

Tennessee has no separate truck speed limit: the 70 mph interstate cap applies to cars and trucks alike. The newest change for fleets is SB1587, effective 07/01/2026, which adds employer criminal and civil exposure for CMV drivers who are unlawfully present. I could not confirm chain/traction rules, weigh-station or port-of-entry rules, hazmat routing and tunnels, IFTA/IRP, or any weight-distance tax from official sources, so those topics are left out.

Researched by our AI agent from the linked sources on 2026-10-21. Always confirm with the source.

• Must knowSB1587 – employer liability and insurance (per amended version)

  The March 2026 amended summary says a direct employer who knowingly lets an unlawfully present person drive a CMV is strictly, jointly and severally liable for injuries and property damage. It also says the employer's liability policy is not to be read as covering this. Arrests must be reported to federal immigration authorities. Confirm these terms survived in the final act.

  SB 1587 / HB 1706 Fiscal Memo – Tennessee General Assembly
• Must knowLegal size and weight limits

  TDOT's permit FAQ lists these limits. Width is 8'6" and height is 13'6". Truck-tractor plus semi-trailer length is 50'. Overhang is 5' total. Axle limits are 20,000 lb single and 34,000 lb tandem, with an 80,000 lb gross limit. Some commercial sites say 53' trailer. That FAQ is an older document, so confirm length with TDOT before relying on it.

  TDOT Oversize and Overweight Permit Office FAQ

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

Our agent is still researching Tennessee's weight, size and chain rules. Check back soon.

Fees and DOT requirements

Tennessee CDLs are cheap: $70 for Class A and $62 for Class B, each valid 8 years. The big costs are weight-based registration for heavy trucks, about $1,352.50 a year at 80,000 lb under the statute schedule I found. For-hire intrastate carriers also need state Intrastate Authority, which costs $50 once plus $8 per vehicle.

Class B CDL

$62 for 8 years (about $7.75 a year)
The $62 total is $56 license cost ($7/yr x 8) plus a $6 application fee. Skills-test and endorsement fees are not on the official fee page, so I give no figure for them (null). Third-party testers set their own skills-test fees, and the federal TSA hazmat background-check fee is separate. CDL renewa Source

Class A CDL

$70 for 8 years (about $8.75 a year)
The $70 total is $64 license cost ($8/yr x 8) plus a $6 application fee. A Class A learner permit is $14 for a 1-year term. Knowledge-test, skills-test and endorsement fees are not stated on the official page (null). Third-party testers charge separately, and the federal hazmat TSA fee is extra. Source

Registration, 26,001 lb straight truck

$635 a year Source Non-government source

Registration, 80,000 lb combination

$1,352.50 a year Source Non-government source

How registration is figured

Tennessee taxes freight motor vehicles by class, based on declared maximum gross weight including vehicle and load. It is a flat annual amount per weight class, not a value-based tax.
A 26,001 lb truck falls in Class 5 (over 26,000 up to 32,000 lb), which the statute lists at $635.00. Class 11 (up to 80,000 lb) is $1,352.50. I read these figures from a FindLaw copy of Tenn. Code § 55-4-113 that is about 3 years old. I could not confirm them against a current Dept. of Revenue schedule, so check for amendments. County fees and other charges are not included. Different, lower rate Source Non-government source

Intrastate operating authority

Intrastate Authority (Tennessee Dept. of Revenue, Motor Carrier section). $50, annual.
Intrastate Authority covers for-hire motor carriers and private towing and wrecker services using Tennessee highways for intrastate transport. Fees are a one-time $50 application fee plus $8 per vehicle, and an Intrastate Permit Card is issued for each vehicle. The official application form lists $8 per vehicle for both new and renewal filings. The official sources I found do not state how often r Source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowIntrastate Authority application, forms and filing

  The application costs $50 for new accounts and $8 per vehicle for new and renewal filings. New or renewal accounts can be handled online through TNTAP, and insurers must file Forms E and H as applicable.

  Intrastate Authority (TN Dept. of Revenue)

See all 8 DOT requirements with full access

Fees change; confirm with the linked state source. Compare all states.

New Tennessee trucking bills

Enacted signed into law · Pending still moving through the legislature · Did not pass

• Pending TN HB1817: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55 and Title 65, Chapter 15, relative to commercial driver licenses. Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1087 · 2026-06-18
• Enacted TN SB1587: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 50, relative to unlawful presence in the United States. Effective date(s) 07/01/2026 · 2026-05-27

Bill data from LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).