Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (September 2026)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina's owner-operator market includes 637 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. 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 September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina's top owner-operator carriers right now
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 Winston-Salem, North Carolina this month on the composite ranking. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC sits in the 95th percentile for gross weekly revenue among Winston-Salem, North Carolina carriers. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 87th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 92nd percentile. WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 96th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
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 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #9 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk, #10 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk.
What Winston-Salem, North Carolina drivers actually run
The route mix in Winston-Salem, North Carolina this month tilts OTR: 10% regional, 90% OTR, 0% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across Winston-Salem, North Carolina CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 92% take-truck-home, 73% pet-friendly, 71% riders-allowed.
Where Winston-Salem, North Carolina differs from the North Carolina baseline
Among the figures above, average weekly pay is where Winston-Salem, North Carolina differs most from North Carolina — 11% above statewide.
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 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Best owner-operator companies in North Carolina
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 September 2026.