Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Richmond, Virginia (May 2026)
As of May 2026, 593 carriers in Richmond, Virginia are posting active jobs for owner-operators. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Performance Trucking Inc follows at $8,000/week gross. Richmond is the I-95 / I-64 junction in central Virginia, serving as the primary distribution hub for the mid-Atlantic with Philip Morris and Altria tobacco freight, consumer goods distribution, and port-bound loads for Norfolk.
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 Richmond, Virginia differs from the Virginia baseline
Among the figures above, average weekly pay is where Richmond, Virginia differs most from Virginia — 18% above statewide.
The owner-operator carriers leading Richmond, Virginia 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 Richmond, Virginia this month on the composite ranking. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC ranks in the 98th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc sits in the 93rd percentile for gross weekly revenue among Richmond, Virginia carriers. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
#3Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Zmile Inc responds to driver applications more reliably than the Richmond, Virginia median.
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 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #8 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #9 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #10 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,025/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Richmond, Virginia
The route mix in Richmond, Virginia this month tilts OTR: 8% regional, 90% OTR, 0% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Richmond, Virginia postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 94%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 73% and riders-allowed at 71%.
Driving CDL in Virginia
Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads — the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast and a top-tier US container gateway. The I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connect Norfolk to mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets, with I-81 north-south through the Shenandoah Valley a major regional freight spine. Cost of living varies widely (high in Northern Virginia, moderate elsewhere). Virginia has a moderate graduated state income tax. Northern Virginia (DC suburbs) congestion is consistently top-tier; central and western VA is generally easier driving.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Richmond, Virginia
- CDL driver salary in Richmond, Virginia
- Best owner-operator companies in Virginia
The methodology behind the rankings
Carriers are scored against carriers in their own market. The composite is 30% compensation (pay + bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement cadence), 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits (W2 vs owner-op scoring), and 20% operational performance (responsiveness + fleet scale). No paid placement — the weights are the same for every carrier in the index. Updated May 2026.