Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Wilmington, North Carolina (May 2026)
Wilmington, North Carolina's owner-operator market includes 591 active carriers as of May 2026. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $4,500. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC follows at $5,491/week gross. North Carolina freight moves on I-85 through the Charlotte-to-Raleigh-Durham manufacturing corridor and I-95 north-south, with Port of Wilmington handling containerized exports and a large furniture and textiles production base.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Wilmington, North Carolina vs North Carolina: the numbers that diverge
| Wilmington, North Carolina | North Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $6,642 | $5,425 | +22% |
| Dedicated routes | 48% | 40% | +8 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 88% | 83% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Wilmington, North Carolina sits 22% above the North Carolina baseline.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Wilmington, North Carolina this month
The top of the list is TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC at $4,500/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC — $4,500/wk
TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC leads the Wilmington, North Carolina market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 97th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC as a responsive employer.
#2YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $5,491/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC offers the highest sign-on bonus among Wilmington, North Carolina's top 10 — $2,000.
#3Zmile Inc — $3,166/wk
Zmile Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Also in the top 10: #4 Performance Trucking Inc at $8,000/wk, #5 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,525/wk, #6 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #7 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #8 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #9 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #10 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Wilmington, North Carolina
The route mix in Wilmington, North Carolina 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 Wilmington, North Carolina postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 94%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 73% and riders-allowed at 72%.
Driving CDL in North Carolina
North Carolina CDL work spans a broad mix — port-and-container out of Wilmington and Morehead City, manufacturing in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), distribution and textile freight around Charlotte, and tobacco / agricultural loads from the eastern half of the state. The driver-experience profile is generally favorable: moderate winters, no significant mountain work outside the western tip, and a cost of living well below the national average even in the metro areas. State income tax is flat and moderate. I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte is one of the busier Southeast freight lanes; weekday congestion through Greensboro is a planning variable. NC is one of the better states for a new CDL driver to build experience without immediately running mountains or severe weather.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Wilmington, North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Wilmington, North Carolina
- Best owner-operator companies in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated May 2026.