How are regulated carriers of freight classified?

Regulated carriers of freight are classified by gross revenue because this classification helps in determining the economic scale of the carrier's operations. The focus on gross revenue allows regulatory bodies to categorize carriers based on their financial performance and the scale at which they operate within the industry. This classification is important for implementing regulations, ensuring compliance with safety and service standards, and addressing market competition. It provides a clear metric that reflects a carrier's business capability, size, and influence in the transportation market.

While other factors, such as the type of cargo transported or geographical coverage, can certainly play a role in how transportation services are tailored or marketed, they do not provide the same level of overall insight into the carrier's operational scale as gross revenue does. Size of the fleet is also a consideration, but it can be misleading; a large fleet does not necessarily equate to high revenue, as various operational efficiencies and market strategies come into play. Therefore, gross revenue serves as the most effective criterion for the classification of regulated freight carriers.