Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in South Carolina (September 2026)
South Carolina's owner-operator market includes 764 active carriers as of September 2026. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $8,500 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC follows at $2,657/week gross. South Carolina freight is anchored by the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 / I-85 corridors serving BMW in Spartanburg and Volvo assembly near Charleston.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The owner-operator carriers leading South Carolina this month
The top of the list is RAY'S TRANSPORT INC at $8,500/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1RAY'S TRANSPORT INC — $8,500/wk
RAY'S TRANSPORT INC is number-one in South Carolina this month on the composite ranking. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC pays above the 90th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the South Carolina market. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags RAY'S TRANSPORT INC as a responsive employer.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC ranks in the 92nd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC ranks in the 96th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,750/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 Freight X LLC at $6,000/wk, #7 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #8 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk, #9 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across South Carolina
The route mix in South Carolina this month tilts OTR: 14% regional, 83% OTR, 2% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across South Carolina CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 91% take-truck-home, 71% pet-friendly, 67% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in South Carolina
South Carolina freight is anchored by the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 / I-85 corridors serving the BMW assembly plant in Spartanburg and Volvo near Charleston. The Greenville-Spartanburg manufacturing corridor adds steady industrial freight. South Carolina has moderate-to-high graduated state income tax; the upstate is more affordable than the coast. Hurricane season affects the coast (June-November); inland SC is generally easier driving. The auto-supplier lanes around Spartanburg run on tight just-in-time schedules — minute-level dispatch precision matters.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in South Carolina
- CDL driver salary in South 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 September 2026.