Updated November 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Knoxville, Tennessee (November 2026)
Knoxville, Tennessee has 658 active owner-operator carriers as of November 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. MONDO MOTION LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $9,250. MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC follows at $3,025/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 November 2026
MONDO MOTION LLC at #1, MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC at #2, and ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC at #3 are new to the top 50 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Biggest climb: WLC GROUP INC (#29 → #15). RAY'S TRANSPORT INC (was #1), EXPRESS FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC (was #4), and IGV Express inc (was #7) left the top 50. Average weekly pay moved most at EXPRESS CR INC (up 18.2% from $2,750 to $3,250). Elsewhere in the top 50, 8 carriers joined, 8 left, and 19 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDO MOTION LLC | Not ranked | #1 | New |
| MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC | Not ranked | #2 | New |
| ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC | Not ranked | #3 | New |
| WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC | Not ranked | #4 | New |
| WIDER GROUP INC | #2 | #5 | Down 3 places |
| BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS | #3 | #7 | Down 4 places |
| HERMES NVC CORP | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #8 | #10 | Down 2 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #9 | #11 | Down 2 places |
| TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| FIVE STAR TRUCKING INC | #10 | #13 | Down 3 places |
| ITF Group | Not ranked | #14 | New |
| WLC GROUP INC | #29 | #15 | Up 14 placesweekly pay up 4.2% ($3,000 → $3,125) |
| SUNGOR TRANSPORTATION INC | #11 | #16 | Down 5 places |
| CO Lines Inc | #14 | #17 | Down 3 places |
| SOUTHLAND TRANSPORTATION | #19 | #18 | Up 1 place |
| STEPANOV TRUCKING LLC | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| J & H TRUCKING INC | #23 | #21 | Up 2 places |
| Blue Diamond Transportation LLC | #24 | #22 | Up 2 places |
| J & J Oil LLC | #16 | #23 | Down 7 places |
| EXPRESS CR INC | #30 | #24 | Up 6 placesweekly pay up 18.2% ($2,750 → $3,250) |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #27 | #26 | Up 1 place |
| COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION LLC | #31 | #27 | Up 4 places |
| AS TRANSPORTATION INC | Not ranked | #28 | New |
| OTRL Recruiting | Not ranked | #29 | New |
| A & H INC | #33 | #30 | Up 3 places |
| KMH Logistics LLC | #32 | #31 | Up 1 place |
| Black & Blue Transport LLC | #26 | #32 | Down 6 places |
| D & H CATTLE COMPANY LLC | #34 | #33 | Up 1 place |
| REAL TRUCKING INC | #35 | #34 | Up 1 place |
| STAR PARTNERS LLC | Not ranked | #35 | New |
| RAY'S TRANSPORT INC | #1 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EXPRESS FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC | #4 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| IGV Express inc | #7 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AIA TRUCKING INC | #12 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| A&M CARRIERS INC | #13 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| BIG JOHN EXPEDITED INC | #15 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| BLACK EAGLE EXPRESS LLC | #17 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| KILO METER LOGISTIC INC | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| DOGE Trucking LLC | #21 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| MAX MOVE LLC | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #28 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Knoxville, Tennessee this month
The top of the list is MONDO MOTION LLC at $9,250/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1MONDO MOTION LLC — $9,250/wk
MONDO MOTION LLC leads the Knoxville, Tennessee market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. Gross weekly revenue here lands in the 96th percentile across Knoxville, Tennessee. Strongest FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC — $3,025/wk
MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC makes its first-time appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee's ranking this month. MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 96th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Knoxville, Tennessee.
#3ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC — $6,500/wk
ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC makes its first-time appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee's ranking this month. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 87th percentile. ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
Also in the top 10: #4 WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC at $2,657/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 IKKO LOGISTICS LLC at $7,500/wk, #7 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #8 HERMES NVC CORP at $4,437/wk, #9 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Knoxville, Tennessee
The route mix in Knoxville, Tennessee this month tilts OTR: 11% regional, 89% OTR, 0% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across Knoxville, Tennessee CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 93% take-truck-home, 73% pet-friendly, 70% riders-allowed.
Knoxville, Tennessee vs Tennessee: the numbers that diverge
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Knoxville, Tennessee sits 9% above the Tennessee baseline.
Driving CDL in Knoxville
Knoxville anchors east Tennessee at the I-40 / I-75 / I-275 cross. Distribution serving the southern Appalachian region, the Tennessee Valley (TVA-related), and University of Tennessee supply chains drive freight. I-75 north through the Jellico mountains and I-40 east through the Pigeon River Gorge into the Smokies are winter operational variables.
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 November 2026.