Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Baltimore, Maryland (May 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 286 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Baltimore, Maryland. Rankings below reflect May 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. Baltimore is a major east-coast container port (Port of Baltimore), specialising in roll-on/roll-off vehicle freight. I-95 and I-695 form the regional freight beltway connecting mid-Atlantic manufacturing and DC-metro distribution.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Baltimore, Maryland's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC is number-one in Baltimore, Maryland this month on the composite ranking. Weekly pay here lands in the 95th percentile across Baltimore, Maryland. KEEP TRUCKING LLC ranks in the 88th percentile for controlled-substances compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. KEEP TRUCKING LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. sits in the 97th percentile for weekly pay among Baltimore, Maryland carriers. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among Baltimore, Maryland carriers. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 HMD TRUCKING INC at $1,800/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #8 ECM ENERGY SERVICES INC at $1,950/wk, #9 GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION at $1,750/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
What Baltimore, Maryland drivers actually run
The route mix in Baltimore, Maryland this month tilts OTR: 20% regional, 70% OTR, 8% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Baltimore, Maryland postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 74%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 60%.
How Baltimore, Maryland compares to Maryland
| Baltimore, Maryland | Maryland top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet-friendly fleets | 74% | 63% | +11 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 86% | 80% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Baltimore, Maryland's biggest divergence from Maryland is on pet-friendly fleets, 11 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Maryland
Maryland freight flows through the Port of Baltimore — a major East Coast container and auto-import port (recovering from the 2024 Key Bridge collapse) — and along the I-95 / I-70 / I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) corridor connecting mid-Atlantic manufacturing and DC-metro distribution. The Beltway is consistently top-tier in US congestion. Cost of living is high and state income tax is moderate-to-high depending on county add-ons. Eastern Shore freight (poultry processing especially) is a distinct regional segment. The Bay Bridge wind restrictions and weight rules complicate Eastern Shore route timing.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Baltimore, Maryland
- CDL driver salary in Baltimore, Maryland
- Best trucking companies in Maryland
The methodology behind the rankings
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated May 2026.