Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Appleton, Wisconsin (November 2026)
Appleton, Wisconsin's W2 trucking market includes 328 active carriers as of November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. South East Carriers INC follows at $1,800/week. Wisconsin freight moves on I-90 / I-94 through Milwaukee and Madison, with dairy and food processing as the dominant outbound commodity and paper and packaging manufacturing in the Fox River Valley generating consistent industrial loads.
What changed in November 2026
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #5, MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #7, and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #9 are new to the top 50 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#31 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #20) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#38 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 6 left, and 40 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #31 | #1 | Up 30 places |
| South East Carriers INC | #1 | #2 | Down 1 place |
| True Transport Inc. | #9 | #3 | Up 6 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #3 | #4 | Down 1 place |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #4 | #6 | Down 2 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #8 | Down 3 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| Badger Express LLC | #7 | #12 | Down 5 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #8 | #13 | Down 5 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #10 | #14 | Down 4 places |
| ZELLER TRANSPORTATION LLC | #11 | #15 | Down 4 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #13 | #16 | Down 3 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #12 | #17 | Down 5 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #16 | #18 | Down 2 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #14 | #19 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #2 | #20 | Down 18 places |
| HARTWIG TRANSIT INC | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| A & H INC | #26 | #23 | Up 3 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #21 | #24 | Down 3 places |
| NEIER INC | #19 | #25 | Down 6 places |
| MARATHON CHEESE TRANSPORT LLC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #22 | #27 | Down 5 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #24 | #28 | Down 4 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #27 | #29 | Down 2 places |
| K-WAY EXPRESS INC | #23 | #30 | Down 7 places |
| HAWKS TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #31 | New |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #30 | #33 | Down 3 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #28 | #34 | Down 6 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #36 | New |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #35 | #37 | Down 2 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #34 | #38 | Down 4 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #36 | #39 | Down 3 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #37 | #40 | Down 3 places |
| GT WORLDWIDE TRANSPORT INC | #39 | #41 | Down 2 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #40 | #42 | Down 2 places |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #41 | #43 | Down 2 places |
| Caravan Inc | #42 | #44 | Down 2 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #45 | Down 2 places |
| Bakers Express | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #45 | #47 | Down 2 places |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| National Express Carriers | #46 | #49 | Down 3 places |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #38 | #50 | Down 12 places |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #20 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #33 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SQUARE ONE TRANSPORT LLC | #48 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Appleton, Wisconsin this month
The top of the list is Herrington Transportation Inc. at $2,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. tops the Appleton, Wisconsin ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Herrington Transportation Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 90th percentile across Appleton, Wisconsin. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2South East Carriers INC — $1,800/wk
South East Carriers INC's top FMCSA dimension is controlled-substances compliance, in the 96th percentile. South East Carriers INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Appleton, Wisconsin median.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. is up from #9 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Appleton, Wisconsin ranking. True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Appleton, Wisconsin market. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 98th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #6 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #7 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Appleton, Wisconsin drivers actually run
19% of Appleton, Wisconsin's active CDL postings are regional and 75% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (6%).
Across Appleton, Wisconsin CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 80% take-truck-home, 65% pet-friendly, 66% riders-allowed.
Appleton, Wisconsin vs Wisconsin: the numbers that diverge
| Appleton, Wisconsin | Wisconsin top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed pay | 4% | 12% | -8 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 34% | 41% | -7 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 78% | 71% | +7 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 68% | 63% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, guaranteed pay is where Appleton, Wisconsin differs most from Wisconsin — 8 points below statewide.
Driving CDL in Wisconsin
Wisconsin freight moves on I-90 / I-94 through Milwaukee and Madison. Dairy and food processing are dominant outbound commodities — Wisconsin's reefer freight is a national-scale segment. Paper and packaging manufacturing in the Fox River Valley generates consistent industrial loads. Great Lakes ports at Green Bay and Superior handle bulk cargo. Cost of living is moderate. Wisconsin has a high graduated state income tax. Winter is severe — lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan affects the eastern third of the state; ice and salt corrosion eat equipment faster than southern states.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Appleton, Wisconsin
- CDL driver salary in Appleton, Wisconsin
- Best trucking companies in Wisconsin
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 November 2026.