---
title: Fleet Size Categories
description: "Table of contents - [The Fleet Size Class Codes](#0-toc-title) - [Power Units & Driver Counts](#1-toc-title) - [How Fleet Size Affects Opportunity Score](#2-toc-title) - [The Driver-to-Truck Ratio (Utilization)](#3-toc-title) - [The Fleet Tier Up Change Signal](#4-toc-title) - [Why Fleet Size Drives Exam…"
url: "https://dotleadscout.com/docs/fleet-size-categories/"
updated: "2026-04-29"
category: Understanding the Data
---

# Fleet Size Categories

Table of contents

- [The Fleet Size Class Codes](#0-toc-title)
- [Power Units & Driver Counts](#1-toc-title)
- [How Fleet Size Affects Opportunity Score](#2-toc-title)
- [The Driver-to-Truck Ratio (Utilization)](#3-toc-title)
- [The Fleet Tier Up Change Signal](#4-toc-title)
- [Why Fleet Size Drives Exam Demand](#5-toc-title)
- [How to Use Fleet Size in Practice](#6-toc-title)

All Plans

Every carrier in FMCSA's registry is bucketed into a **fleet size class** — a single letter from A to Q based on power-unit count. DOT Lead Scout shows this letter directly and uses raw power-unit and driver counts to drive scoring, badges, and the High Value designation.

## The Fleet Size Class Codes

   FMCSA assigns each carrier a single-letter `fleetsize` code. The mapping isn't published anywhere in plain English, but observed across millions of carrier records, the common letters track to power-unit counts roughly like this:

| Letter | Power units (approx) | Typical operation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **A** | 1 | Owner-operator with one truck |
| **B** | 2–3 | Tiny family operation |
| **C** | 4–6 | Small fleet |
| **D** | 7–9 | Small-to-mid fleet |
| **E–F** | 10–25 | Mid-size fleet |
| **G–M** | 26–100 | Mid-to-large fleet |
| **N** | ~50 | Large fleet (regionally significant) |
| **Q** | 100+ | Major carrier |
| **0** | 0 reported | Carrier filed but reported no power units — shell or pre-operational |

##### Ranges are observed, not official

FMCSA doesn't publish the exact letter-to-count mapping. These ranges are derived from analyzing millions of `fleetsize` + `power_units` pairs in the live data. They're directionally accurate — a B is always smaller than a C, always smaller than a D.

## Power Units & Driver Counts

   More important than the letter code are the raw counts that live alongside it on every carrier record:

| Field | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| `power_units` | Trucks & tractors combined — the headline fleet-size number |
| `truck_units` | Straight trucks specifically |
| `bus_units` | Buses (passenger carriers) |
| `total_drivers` | All drivers on payroll — the number that drives your physical-exam revenue |
| `total_cdl` | Drivers holding a CDL specifically |
| `owntruck` / `trmtruck` | Owned vs. termed (rented/leased) trucks |
| `owntract` / `trmtract` | Owned vs. termed tractors |
| `owntrail` / `trmtrail` | Owned vs. termed trailers |

## How Fleet Size Affects Opportunity Score

   The opportunity score (see **3.5**) awards points based on power-unit count — bigger fleets get more credit because they translate to more driver physicals:

| Power units | Score boost | Reasoning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50+ | **+20** | Large fleet — significant recurring revenue |
| 20–49 | +17 | Mid-large fleet — high-value relationship |
| 10–19 | +14 | Established fleet — meaningful recurring volume |
| 5–9 | +11 | Small fleet — steady volume |
| 2–4 | +8 | Tiny fleet — modest recurring revenue |
| 1 | +5 | Owner-operator — one driver, but they need a physical too |
| 0 | 0 | No reported units — no scoring credit |

## The Driver-to-Truck Ratio (Utilization)

   DOT Lead Scout calculates a **utilization ratio** for each carrier: `total_drivers ÷ power_units`. This number is more telling than fleet size alone because it reveals how the fleet is actually staffed:

| Ratio | What it means | Outreach value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1.5x or higher | Multiple drivers per truck (team driving, shift work) | **High Value** badge applied. Lots of drivers needing physicals. |
| 1.0–1.4x | Roughly one driver per truck (normal staffing) | Standard prospect |
| Less than 1.0x | Fewer drivers than trucks (parked equipment, reduced ops) | Possible warning sign — verify they're still actively running |

##### High Value badge is automatic

Any carrier with a utilization ratio of 1.5x or higher gets the **High Value** green badge throughout the platform — on lead lists, the map, daily digests, and lead detail panels.

## The Fleet Tier Up Change Signal

   When a carrier's `fleetsize` letter increases (e.g. `C` to `D`, or `F` to `G`), DOT Lead Scout fires the **Fleet Tier Up** change signal. This means the carrier just crossed a fleet-size threshold — they're scaling, hiring, and almost certainly onboarding new drivers who need physicals.

## Why Fleet Size Drives Exam Demand

   Driver physicals follow a regulatory cycle — CDL drivers need a DOT physical at least every 24 months (more often for certain conditions). That makes fleet size a rough multiplier for your annual revenue from a given carrier:

| Fleet size | Drivers (typical) | Physicals/year (rough) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 (owner-op) | 1 | 0.5 |
| 5 trucks | 6–8 | 3–4 |
| 20 trucks | 25–30 | 12–15 |
| 50 trucks | 65–75 | 30–38 |
| 100+ trucks | 150+ | 75+ |

##### Plus turnover

These numbers assume routine biennial physicals only. Trucking has high driver turnover — new drivers need a pre-employment exam, which roughly doubles real-world demand for an actively-hiring carrier.

## How to Use Fleet Size in Practice

### If you want big-fish accounts

   Filter your pipeline to power_units >= 20. These are carriers where one client win is a year's worth of physicals.

### If you want easy-yes drop-ins

   Filter to power_units 1-5. Owner-operators and tiny fleets make the call themselves — no committee, no purchasing manager. Faster decisions.

### If you want maximum recurring revenue

   Filter to High Value badge holders (utilization ratio 1.5x+). These carriers have more drivers per truck, meaning more exams per fleet.