Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Tennessee (September 2026)
Tennessee, September 2026: 846 active owner-operator carriers. 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. Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx global air hub and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, while Nashville-area automotive and manufacturing plants drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity.
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 Tennessee 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 tops the Tennessee ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. The carrier ranks in the 96th percentile for gross weekly revenue in Tennessee. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier 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. Lanefinder's application data flags WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC 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. LOAD MONSTER INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Tennessee median.
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 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk, #10 COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION LLC at $3,912/wk.
What Tennessee drivers actually run
The route mix in Tennessee this month tilts OTR: 16% regional, 82% OTR, 1% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Tennessee postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 91%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 70% and riders-allowed at 67%.
Driving CDL in Tennessee
Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx Express World Hub — one of the world's largest air cargo hubs by tonnage — and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, with the nightly sort cycle generating enormous regional dispatch demand. Nashville-area automotive (Nissan Smyrna) and manufacturing drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity. Cost of living is below the national average; Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. East TN (Chattanooga, Knoxville) is mountain-adjacent — I-40 east through the Smokies and I-24 across Monteagle pass have real winter weight.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Tennessee
- CDL driver salary in Tennessee
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated September 2026.