Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Kingsport, Tennessee (September 2026)
In Kingsport, Tennessee as of September 2026, 652 carriers are actively hiring owner-operators. 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.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Kingsport, 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 Kingsport, Tennessee market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 95th percentile across Kingsport, Tennessee. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC ranks in the 87th percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 92nd percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Kingsport, Tennessee.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 96th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags LOAD MONSTER INC 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 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #8 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk, #9 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Kingsport, Tennessee
The route mix in Kingsport, Tennessee this month tilts OTR: 10% regional, 90% OTR, 0% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Kingsport, Tennessee postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 73% and riders-allowed at 71%.
Where Kingsport, Tennessee differs from the Tennessee baseline
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Kingsport, Tennessee sits 13% above the Tennessee 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 Kingsport, Tennessee
- CDL driver salary in Kingsport, Tennessee
- Best owner-operator companies in Tennessee
Where this data comes from
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 September 2026.