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Guide · Texas · 6 min read

How to Win Government Hauling and Trucking Contracts in Texas

By the XL Eagle bid team · Updated November 2, 2026 · Built from our live bid database and USAspending.gov

Hauling contracts in Texas start with paperwork on the truck, not on the job. Public buyers want to know your carrier status, your insurance and your safety record before they care about your rate.

Buyers include the Texas ESBD for state agencies, Air Force and Army sites that need freight, debris and equipment moved, and local buyers on portals like Bonfire. Jobs can be a single load or a year of runs.

This guide explains the registrations, how hauling differs from other trades, and how to price loads and miles. It also shows how XL Eagle can bid for you.

Hauling and Trucking contracts in Texas at a glance

  • 2 open hauling and trucking bids in Texas on XL Eagle today. See them all.
  • 37 hauling and trucking solicitations in Texas in the last 12 months that we tracked (14 federal, 23 state and local).
  • Federal agencies made 98 contract awards worth $9.3 million for work performed in Texas under NAICS 484110, 484121, 484210, 484220 in FY2025 (Oct 2024 - Sep 2025).
  • Top federal buyers that year: Department of Defense ($7.1 million); Department of Agriculture ($1.1 million); National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($722,000).
  • Agencies posting this work most often in our data: Air Force, Army, Usda, Departmental Administration, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
  • Where these jobs get posted: Bonfire, Ionwave, OpenGov, Texas ESBD.

Bid counts from the XL Eagle bid database as of November 2, 2026. Award totals from USAspending.gov.

Who buys hauling and trucking work in Texas

  • State agencies and universities posting freight, surplus and debris hauling on the Texas ESBD.
  • Air Force bases, including Joint Base San Antonio, that move equipment and supplies.
  • Army installations such as Fort Cavazos and Fort Bliss, which post hauling and moving work.
  • Cities and counties on portals such as Bonfire, buying dump truck, brush and material hauling.
  • TxDOT districts that hire trucks for road material and maintenance support.

Open hauling and trucking bids in Texas right now

All open hauling and trucking bids in Texas →

Licenses you need in Texas

Trucking is regulated at the federal and state level. Motor carriers start with a USDOT number from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Work that stays inside Texas needs a TxDMV intrastate certificate, and interstate work needs an MC number from FMCSA, and if you do both you need both. You apply through the TxDMV Motor Carrier Credentialing System, and your insurer must file proof of insurance with TxDMV before the application can be granted. Interstate carriers also pay Unified Carrier Registration fees each year.

Register to bid in Texas

State and local jobs in Texas are posted on these sites:

  • Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD): The Texas Comptroller's search page for open bids from state agencies, universities, counties, cities, school districts and other public entities, and sign in is not required to look.
  • Texas SmartBuy: The state's purchasing site that sits beside the ESBD and is where many state agencies run their buying.
  • Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL): The state vendor list you join through the Comptroller's eSystems account, using NIGP codes for what you sell.
  • SAM.gov: The federal site where jobs at Texas bases and federal offices are posted, and where a business registers to bid as a prime.
  1. Get an IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN). The Comptroller does not accept a Social Security number for CMBL.
  2. Write down your business structure, your NIGP class and item codes, and the Texas highway districts where you can work.
  3. Create an eSystems profile on the Comptroller site, set a password and verify your email.
  4. Choose Apply for CMBL in eSystems and follow the prompts, then pay the annual fee.
  5. Search the ESBD every week for your trade and read each posting for the entity's own submission instructions.
  6. Apply for HUB certification if you qualify. It is separate from CMBL.

The Texas Comptroller lists the annual CMBL registration fee as $70, and HUB certification itself is free.

Federal jobs in Texas use SAM.gov, which is free. What SAM.gov is and how to register.

Small business certifications in Texas

  • Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program: A Texas-based small business that meets SBA size standards and is owned by Texas residents from the groups the state recognizes; certification is free and lasts several years.
  • VetHUB: A Texas-based small business where a service-disabled veteran with a rating of 20 percent or more owns, manages and runs at least 51 percent of the company; certification is free.

Wage rules on public jobs

Texas has its own prevailing wage law for public works, Texas Government Code chapter 2258. For construction work paid for by the state or a local government, the public body sets the wage rates, either from a local survey or from federal rates, and those rates are the minimum you must pay on that job. On federal jobs the U.S. Department of Labor rules apply instead: the Davis-Bacon Act for construction over $2,000 and the Service Contract Act for service contracts over $2,500. Always read the wage sheet attached to the bid.

What hauling and trucking jobs look like in Texas

  • Check what kind of truck the job needs: dump truck, flatbed, box truck or tractor trailer. A bid for a dump truck cannot be met with a van.
  • Texas distances are long. Fuel and driver hours decide whether a run makes money.
  • Base deliveries can require advance notice, a driver list and vehicle inspection at the gate.
  • Hours of service rules limit how many hours a driver can work. Build your schedule around them.
  • Hauling debris, soil or brush may involve disposal sites with their own fees and paperwork. Ask who pays.
  • Some bids use a per-load or per-ton price and others use a flat fee. Read the unit before you price.

Pricing hauling and trucking work for Texas public buyers

  • Work out cost per mile and cost per hour for each truck, including fuel, driver pay, insurance and repairs.
  • Count the empty miles you drive to get to the pickup, not just the loaded miles.
  • Add waiting time. Base gates and loading docks can cost an hour or more.
  • Use a fuel line if the bid allows one, because diesel prices move during a year long contract.
  • Include tolls, permits and any dump or scale fees.

Mistakes that lose these bids

  • Bidding with no USDOT number or no TxDMV certificate.
  • Letting insurance lapse. TxDMV needs insurance on file at all times for the certificate to stay active.
  • Pricing only loaded miles and ignoring the return trip.
  • Not reading how weight or volume is measured on a per-ton bid.

The fastest way to bid: send us your price

You can register and bid on your own using the steps above. If you would rather not, send XL Eagle your price on any hauling and trucking job in Texas. We write and submit the bid as the prime contractor under our registrations. If it wins, you do the work and get paid. You do not need your own SAM.gov registration to work this way.

Pick a Texas hauling and trucking job or read the national guide to government hauling and trucking contracts.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a USDOT number to haul for the government in Texas?

TxDMV tells carriers operating in Texas to start with a USDOT number. It identifies you but does not give you authority to operate by itself.

What is the difference between a TxDMV certificate and an MC number?

A TxDMV intrastate certificate is for work inside Texas. An MC number from FMCSA is for interstate work, and you need both if you do both.

Is there insurance I must file?

Yes. Your insurer must file proof of insurance electronically with TxDMV before your application can be granted.

Can a small hauler win Air Force or Army work?

Yes, if you meet the carrier rules and price carefully. If you do not have a SAM.gov registration, send XL Eagle your price and it bids as the prime.

Sources

Have a price for a government job?

Send it to us. XL Eagle writes and submits the bid under our registrations, free to you. If we win, you do the work at your price.

Find a job and send your price →