Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in North Carolina (May 2026)
In North Carolina as of May 2026, 797 carriers are actively hiring owner-operators. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $4,500. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC follows at $5,491/week gross. North Carolina freight moves on I-85 through the Charlotte-to-Raleigh-Durham manufacturing corridor and I-95 north-south, with Port of Wilmington handling containerized exports and a large furniture and textiles production base.
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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina this month on the composite ranking. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC ranks in the 97th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. 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 top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the North Carolina median.
#3Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc sits in the 94th percentile for gross weekly revenue among North Carolina carriers. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile.
Despite ranking below #1, Performance Trucking Inc outpays the leader on weekly average — $8,000/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,416/wk, #5 Zmile Inc at $2,175/wk, #6 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #7 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #8 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #9 Freight X LLC at $6,000/wk, #10 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across North Carolina
14% of North Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 83% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Across North Carolina CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 91% take-truck-home, 71% pet-friendly, 68% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in North Carolina
North Carolina CDL work spans a broad mix — port-and-container out of Wilmington and Morehead City, manufacturing in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), distribution and textile freight around Charlotte, and tobacco / agricultural loads from the eastern half of the state. The driver-experience profile is generally favorable: moderate winters, no significant mountain work outside the western tip, and a cost of living well below the national average even in the metro areas. State income tax is flat and moderate. I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte is one of the busier Southeast freight lanes; weekday congestion through Greensboro is a planning variable. NC is one of the better states for a new CDL driver to build experience without immediately running mountains or severe weather.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in North Carolina
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
How we compile these 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.