Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Battle Creek, Michigan (November 2026)
Battle Creek, Michigan, November 2026: 351 active W2 trucking carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,600/week. Michigan is the US automotive manufacturing heartland, with Detroit and the I-94 / I-75 corridor carrying dense parts-and-assembly flows and Great Lakes ports at Detroit, Muskegon, and Sault Ste. Marie handling bulk commodities.
What changed in November 2026
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #6, MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #8, and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #9 are new to the top 50 in Battle Creek, Michigan. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#35 → #1) and FW TRUCKING (#13 → #3). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #21) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#40 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 6 left, 38 changed rank, and 1 changed pay or benefits.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #35 | #1 | Up 34 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | #7 | #2 | Up 5 placesweekly pay down 1.5% ($1,625 → $1,600) |
| FW TRUCKING | #13 | #3 | Up 10 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #11 | #4 | Up 7 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #2 | #5 | Down 3 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #3 | #7 | Down 4 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #4 | #10 | Down 6 places |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #12 | Down 6 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #13 | New |
| South East Carriers INC | #5 | #14 | Down 9 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #8 | #15 | Down 7 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #10 | #16 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #12 | #17 | Down 5 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #9 | #18 | Down 9 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #14 | #19 | Down 5 places |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #16 | #20 | Down 4 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #21 | Down 20 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #15 | #23 | Down 8 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #23 | #24 | Down 1 place |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #19 | #25 | Down 6 places |
| A & H INC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #21 | #27 | Down 6 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #27 | #28 | Down 1 place |
| Scotland Transportation LLC | #36 | #29 | Up 7 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #24 | #30 | Down 6 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #26 | #31 | Down 5 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #28 | #36 | Down 8 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #37 | #38 | Down 1 place |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #34 | #39 | Down 5 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #39 | #40 | Down 1 place |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #38 | #41 | Down 3 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #41 | #42 | Down 1 place |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #44 | #45 | Down 1 place |
| DRAKE FARMS TRUCKING INC | #45 | #46 | Down 1 place |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| National Express Carriers | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #40 | #50 | Down 10 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #20 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #31 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Battle Creek, Michigan 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. leads the Battle Creek, Michigan market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Herrington Transportation Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 91st percentile across Battle Creek, Michigan. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,600/wk
McLeod Express LLC climbed from #7 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Battle Creek, Michigan. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 94th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. McLeod Express LLC guarantees weekly pay — useful when freight slows down.
McLeod Express LLC stands alone in Battle Creek, Michigan's top 10 on guaranteed pay — every other ranked carrier here pays per-mile or per-load.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,850/wk
FW TRUCKING climbed from #13 to #3 this month — one of the biggest moves in Battle Creek, Michigan. FW TRUCKING's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #5 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #6 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #7 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #8 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Battle Creek, Michigan
The route mix in Battle Creek, Michigan this month tilts OTR: 24% regional, 74% OTR, 2% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across Battle Creek, Michigan CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 24% dedicated, 79% take-truck-home, 67% pet-friendly, 66% riders-allowed.
Battle Creek, Michigan vs Michigan: the numbers that diverge
| Battle Creek, Michigan | Michigan top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 94% | 80% | +14 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 30% | 42% | -12 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 66% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 82% | 76% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Battle Creek, Michigan's biggest divergence from Michigan is on take-truck-home, 14 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Michigan
Michigan is the US automotive heartland — a huge share of CDL work in the state is tied to auto-parts inbound or finished-vehicle outbound. Detroit / Dearborn / Flint lanes have a distinctive operational rhythm that follows plant production schedules, including summer shutdown weeks when freight volume often drops. Winter is the dominant operational variable: lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan can shut down west-side runs, and the freeze-thaw cycle on I-94, I-75, and I-96 means road surfaces are rough year-round. State income tax is flat and moderate. The Upper Peninsula is genuinely remote — long stretches with no fuel stops or services — and most newer drivers shouldn't take UP loads until they've learned the territory.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Battle Creek, Michigan
- CDL driver salary in Battle Creek, Michigan
- Best trucking companies in Michigan
The methodology behind the 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.