Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Tempe, Arizona (May 2026)
Tempe, Arizona, May 2026: 478 active owner-operator carriers. Zmile Inc leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $2,987. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC follows at $2,525/week gross. Arizona sits on the I-10 cross-border corridor with Mexico, with major freight flows through Phoenix and Tucson and growing semiconductor manufacturing in the Phoenix metro.
What changed in May 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 Tempe, Arizona this month
The top of the list is Zmile Inc at $2,987/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc tops the Tempe, Arizona ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,525/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 is the only Tempe, Arizona top-10 carrier that guarantees weekly pay regardless of miles run.
#3TAZ TRUCKING INC — $10,999/wk
TAZ TRUCKING INC sits in the 98th percentile for gross weekly revenue among Tempe, Arizona carriers. TAZ TRUCKING INC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 83rd percentile.
TAZ TRUCKING INC actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $10,999/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #5 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #6 Rickman Transport, LLC at $9,250/wk, #7 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #8 GNS TRUCKING INC at $9,000/wk, #9 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #10 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk.
What Tempe, Arizona drivers actually run
7% of Tempe, Arizona's active CDL postings are regional and 91% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (2%).
Across Tempe, Arizona CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 28% dedicated, 92% take-truck-home, 75% pet-friendly, 72% riders-allowed.
How Tempe, Arizona compares to Arizona
Among the figures above, average weekly pay is where Tempe, Arizona differs most from Arizona — 8% above statewide.
Driving CDL in Arizona
Arizona freight runs on the I-10 cross-border corridor with Mexico — Nogales is one of the busiest US-Mexico commercial crossings — and through Phoenix and Tucson metro distribution. Semiconductor fabs in the Phoenix metro add a high-value freight segment on top of the regional distribution base. Summer heat is the dominant operational variable: ambient temperatures above 110°F change how equipment behaves and how long you can run before forced cooling stops. Arizona has a low flat state income tax and generally favorable trucking regulations.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Tempe, Arizona
- CDL driver salary in Tempe, Arizona
- Best owner-operator companies in Arizona
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.