Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Newark, New Jersey (May 2026)
In Newark, New Jersey as of May 2026, 561 carriers are actively hiring owner-operators. 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. Newark anchors the Port of New York and New Jersey, the busiest east-coast container complex, with dense rail and truck intermodal connections via I-95 / NJ Turnpike and a significant US air-cargo airport at Newark Liberty.
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 Newark, 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 Newark, New Jersey this month on the composite ranking. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Newark, New Jersey.
#2Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#3AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,416/wk
Lanefinder's application data flags AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer. Pay is guaranteed on a weekly minimum.
AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC stands alone in Newark, New Jersey's top 10 on guaranteed pay — every other ranked carrier here pays per-mile or per-load.
Also in the top 10: #4 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #5 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #6 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #7 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #10 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Newark, New Jersey
Of active CDL postings in Newark, New Jersey this month, 9% are regional and 87% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 4%.
Across Newark, New Jersey CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 29% dedicated, 90% take-truck-home, 71% pet-friendly, 68% riders-allowed.
Newark, New Jersey vs New Jersey: the numbers that diverge
Newark, New Jersey's biggest divergence from New Jersey is on average weekly pay, 8% above the state baseline.
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 Newark, New Jersey
- CDL driver salary in Newark, New Jersey
- Best owner-operator companies in New Jersey
The methodology behind the rankings
The score is built from four buckets. Thirty percent compensation, drawn from real active job postings and modified by bonus and settlement structure. Twenty-five percent safety, from FMCSA SAFER. Twenty-five percent benefits, scored hiring-type-aware. Twenty percent operational performance, drawn from how carriers actually behave toward applicants. Updated May 2026.