Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in New Jersey (May 2026)
634 owner-operator carriers are hiring in New Jersey this May 2026. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Zmile Inc follows at $2,987/week gross. New Jersey is the primary Northeast freight gateway through Port Newark / Elizabeth — the busiest container port on the East Coast — with the NJ Turnpike (I-95) and dense intermodal facilities serving the New York metro market.
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 New Jersey 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 is number-one in New Jersey this month on the composite ranking. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC as a responsive employer.
#2Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Zmile Inc tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 94th percentile across New Jersey. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile.
For pure pay maximization, Performance Trucking Inc beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $8,000.
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 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,050/wk, #10 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk.
What New Jersey drivers actually run
11% of New Jersey's active CDL postings are regional and 84% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (5%).
Across New Jersey CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 29% dedicated, 90% take-truck-home, 70% pet-friendly, 67% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in New Jersey
New Jersey is the primary Northeast freight gateway through Port Newark-Elizabeth — the busiest container port on the East Coast — with the NJ Turnpike (I-95) and dense intermodal facilities feeding the New York metro market. Drayage out of the port is the largest single CDL segment. Cost of living is high; New Jersey state income tax is high and graduated (peaks above 10%). Bridge tolls and truck-route restrictions on the Garden State Parkway (no trucks allowed) and certain Hudson crossings add planning overhead. NJ Turnpike traffic is consistently in the worst US tier.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in New Jersey
- CDL driver salary in New Jersey
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
Where this data comes from
Compensation is the largest single weight at 30% — pay percentile, sign-on bonus, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement cadence. FMCSA safety contributes 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions with unsafe-driving and hours-of-service weighted 2× heavier. Benefits contribute 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator and 1099 carriers. Operational performance — application responsiveness and fleet scale — contributes 20%. Updated May 2026.