Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Hampton, Virginia (May 2026)
Hampton, Virginia has 569 active owner-operator carriers as of May 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. 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. Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads, the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast (55 ft after the Gateway dredging program), with I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connecting it to the mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
How Hampton, Virginia compares to Virginia
| Hampton, Virginia | Virginia top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $6,355 | $5,367 | +18% |
| Sign-on bonus rate | 24% | 31% | -7 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Hampton, Virginia's biggest divergence from Virginia is on average weekly pay, 18% above the state baseline.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Hampton, Virginia 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 tops the Hampton, Virginia ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC as a responsive employer.
#2Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc pays above the 88th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Hampton, Virginia market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 99th percentile.
#3Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Zmile Inc tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
Also in the top 10: #4 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,416/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #7 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #8 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #9 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #10 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,025/wk.
What Hampton, Virginia drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Hampton, Virginia this month, 8% are regional and 90% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Across Hampton, Virginia CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 94% take-truck-home, 74% pet-friendly, 72% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in Virginia
Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads — the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast and a top-tier US container gateway. The I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connect Norfolk to mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets, with I-81 north-south through the Shenandoah Valley a major regional freight spine. Cost of living varies widely (high in Northern Virginia, moderate elsewhere). Virginia has a moderate graduated state income tax. Northern Virginia (DC suburbs) congestion is consistently top-tier; central and western VA is generally easier driving.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Hampton, Virginia
- CDL driver salary in Hampton, Virginia
- Best owner-operator companies in Virginia
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 May 2026.