Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Roanoke, Virginia (May 2026)
Roanoke, Virginia, May 2026: 605 active owner-operator carriers. 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. Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads, the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast (55 ft after the Gateway dredging program), with I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connecting it to the mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Roanoke, Virginia vs Virginia: the numbers that diverge
Roanoke, Virginia's biggest divergence from Virginia is on average weekly pay, 21% above the state baseline.
Roanoke, Virginia's top owner-operator carriers right now
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 tops the Roanoke, Virginia ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Roanoke, Virginia.
#2Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc pays above the 88th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Roanoke, Virginia market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 99th percentile.
#3AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,416/wk
Lanefinder's application data flags AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC guarantees weekly pay — useful when freight slows down.
AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC is the only Roanoke, Virginia top-10 carrier that guarantees weekly pay regardless of miles run.
Also in the top 10: #4 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #5 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #6 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #7 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,025/wk, #10 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Roanoke, Virginia
Of active CDL postings in Roanoke, Virginia this month, 9% are regional and 90% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 1%.
Across Roanoke, Virginia CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 94% take-truck-home, 74% pet-friendly, 72% riders-allowed.
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 Roanoke, Virginia
- CDL driver salary in Roanoke, Virginia
- Best owner-operator companies in Virginia
How we compile these rankings
The composite score is 30% compensation, 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits, and 20% operational performance. Pay percentiles are computed against carriers currently hiring in each market; FMCSA percentiles come from SAFER and weight unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 2× heavier than the other three dimensions. Updated May 2026.