Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Cleveland, Tennessee (September 2026)
Cleveland, Tennessee has 663 active owner-operator carriers as of September 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $8,500 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC follows at $2,657/week gross. Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx global air hub and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, while Nashville-area automotive and manufacturing plants drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity.
What changed in September 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 Cleveland, Tennessee this month
The top of the list is RAY'S TRANSPORT INC at $8,500/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1RAY'S TRANSPORT INC — $8,500/wk
RAY'S TRANSPORT INC leads the Cleveland, Tennessee market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC pays above the 90th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Cleveland, Tennessee market. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Cleveland, Tennessee median.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 92nd percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC ranks in the 96th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,750/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #7 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk, #8 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #9 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk, #10 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk.
What Cleveland, Tennessee drivers actually run
11% of Cleveland, Tennessee's active CDL postings are regional and 89% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (0%).
Across Cleveland, Tennessee CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 93% take-truck-home, 73% pet-friendly, 70% riders-allowed.
Where Cleveland, Tennessee differs from the Tennessee baseline
Cleveland, Tennessee's biggest divergence from Tennessee is on average weekly pay, 11% above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Tennessee
Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx Express World Hub — one of the world's largest air cargo hubs by tonnage — and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, with the nightly sort cycle generating enormous regional dispatch demand. Nashville-area automotive (Nissan Smyrna) and manufacturing drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity. Cost of living is below the national average; Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. East TN (Chattanooga, Knoxville) is mountain-adjacent — I-40 east through the Smokies and I-24 across Monteagle pass have real winter weight.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Cleveland, Tennessee
- CDL driver salary in Cleveland, Tennessee
- Best owner-operator companies in Tennessee
How we compile these rankings
Lanefinder's ranking algorithm weights compensation at 30%, FMCSA SAFER safety at 25%, benefits at 25%, and operational performance at 20%. Compensation reflects pay percentile plus sign-on bonus, guaranteed pay, and settlement-frequency adjustments. Benefits scoring is hiring-type-aware. Operational performance comes mostly from how carriers handle real driver applications. Updated September 2026.