Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Cincinnati, Ohio (May 2026)
Cincinnati, Ohio, May 2026: 680 active owner-operator carriers. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Performance Trucking Inc follows at $8,000/week gross. Cincinnati anchors the I-71 / I-75 / I-275 junction near the Ohio-Kentucky border, with the DHL Americas hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, P&G manufacturing, and dense automotive supply-chain freight.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The owner-operator carriers leading Cincinnati, Ohio this month
The top of the list is YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC at $5,491/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $5,491/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads the Cincinnati, Ohio market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 93rd percentile across Cincinnati, Ohio. Performance Trucking Inc's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile.
#3AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,416/wk
AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Cincinnati, Ohio median. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
For guaranteed weekly pay, AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC is the only top-10 Cincinnati, Ohio carrier offering it.
Also in the top 10: #4 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #5 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #6 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #7 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #8 POPE TRANSPORT INC at $7,000/wk, #9 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #10 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,020/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Cincinnati, Ohio
Of active CDL postings in Cincinnati, Ohio this month, 11% are regional and 87% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Cincinnati, Ohio postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 73% and riders-allowed at 70%.
Cincinnati, Ohio vs Ohio: the numbers that diverge
Among the figures above, average weekly pay is where Cincinnati, Ohio differs most from Ohio — 8% above statewide.
Driving CDL in Ohio
Ohio sits at the center of the US manufacturing belt and runs about as much through-freight as any state. I-70, I-71, I-75, and the Ohio Turnpike form a freight grid that's flat, generally well-maintained, and forgiving for newer drivers — Ohio is one of the better states to gain initial OTR experience. The Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati metros each anchor distinct lane profiles (auto, distribution, and pharmaceutical respectively). Winter operational risk is real — lake-effect off Erie, freezing rain in the central part of the state — but less extreme than the Great Plains states. Ohio cost of living is below the national average, which makes the income math work better than the headline pay numbers suggest.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Cincinnati, Ohio
- CDL driver salary in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Best owner-operator companies in Ohio
How we compile these rankings
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated May 2026.