Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Knoxville, Tennessee (May 2026)
Knoxville, Tennessee has 664 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. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $4,500. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC follows at $5,491/week gross. Knoxville sits at the I-40 / I-75 junction in eastern Tennessee, with Oak Ridge National Laboratory logistics, TVA industrial supply chains, and manufacturing distribution in the Tennessee River corridor feeding regional 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.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Knoxville, Tennessee this month
The top of the list is TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC at $4,500/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC — $4,500/wk
TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC is number-one in Knoxville, Tennessee this month on the composite ranking. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 97th percentile. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $5,491/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Knoxville, Tennessee median.
#3Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc sits in the 93rd percentile for gross weekly revenue among Knoxville, Tennessee carriers. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,525/wk, #5 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #6 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #7 Zmile Inc at $2,175/wk, #8 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #9 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #10 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Knoxville, Tennessee
The route mix in Knoxville, Tennessee this month tilts OTR: 10% regional, 88% OTR, 0% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across Knoxville, Tennessee CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 25% dedicated, 94% take-truck-home, 74% pet-friendly, 71% riders-allowed.
Knoxville, Tennessee vs Tennessee: the numbers that diverge
| Knoxville, Tennessee | Tennessee top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $6,125 | $5,489 | +12% |
| Riders-allowed policies | 85% | 90% | -5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Knoxville, Tennessee sits 12% 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 Knoxville, Tennessee
- CDL driver salary in Knoxville, 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 May 2026.