Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Charleston, South Carolina (November 2026)
Through November 2026, 289 carriers in Charleston, South Carolina employ W2 company drivers across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,225/week. Charleston is home to the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 corridors serving BMW in Spartanburg, Volvo assembly nearby, and dense Southeast distribution.
What changed in November 2026
Mountain States L.P. Gas at #4 and ARKA EXPRESS INC at #6 are new to the top 50 in Charleston, South Carolina. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#29 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #17) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#37 → #49). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 5 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #29 | #1 | Up 28 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #10 | #2 | Up 8 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #2 | #3 | Down 1 place |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #4 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #7 | Down 1 place |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #5 | #8 | Down 3 places |
| South East Carriers INC | #4 | #9 | Down 5 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #7 | #10 | Down 3 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #9 | #11 | Down 2 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #8 | #12 | Down 4 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #12 | #13 | Down 1 place |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #11 | #14 | Down 3 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #14 | #15 | Down 1 place |
| THE WAGGONERS TRUCKING | #15 | #16 | Down 1 place |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #17 | Down 16 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #16 | #18 | Down 2 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| Best Logistics Group | #18 | #20 | Down 2 places |
| KOCH CARRIERS INC | #13 | #21 | Down 8 places |
| A & H INC | #28 | #22 | Up 6 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #24 | #23 | Up 1 place |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #23 | #24 | Down 1 place |
| NEIER INC | #21 | #25 | Down 4 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #20 | #26 | Down 6 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #25 | #27 | Down 2 places |
| TRIUS TRUCKING INC | #19 | #28 | Down 9 places |
| TRACIE MCCORMICK INC | #22 | #29 | Down 7 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #31 | New |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #34 | #32 | Up 2 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #27 | #33 | Down 6 places |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #31 | #35 | Down 4 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #32 | #37 | Down 5 places |
| COYOTE XPRESS LLC | Not ranked | #39 | New |
| Caravan Inc | #39 | #41 | Down 2 places |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #41 | #42 | Down 1 place |
| Southland Transportation | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #48 | #47 | Up 1 place |
| National Express Carriers | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #37 | #49 | Down 12 places |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #17 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| ANTLER TRANSPORT LLC | #33 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #35 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| NTC TRUCKING LLC | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where CDL pay is strongest in Charleston, South Carolina 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. is number-one in Charleston, South Carolina this month on the composite ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 89th percentile across Charleston, South Carolina. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,225/wk
True Transport Inc. climbed from #10 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Charleston, South Carolina. True Transport Inc. sits in the 94th percentile for weekly pay among Charleston, South Carolina carriers. True Transport Inc.'s top FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 98th percentile.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,225/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's weekly pay ranks in the 94th percentile across Charleston, South Carolina. Top FMCSA dimension here is vehicle maintenance, in the 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 ARKA EXPRESS INC at $1,750/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #9 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Charleston, South Carolina
22% of Charleston, South Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 75% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Across Charleston, South Carolina CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 83% take-truck-home, 66% pet-friendly, 67% riders-allowed.
How Charleston, South Carolina compares to South Carolina
| Charleston, South Carolina | South Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet-friendly fleets | 80% | 72% | +8 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 28% | 34% | -6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 78% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, pet-friendly fleets is where Charleston, South Carolina differs most from South Carolina — 8 points above statewide.
Driving CDL in Charleston
Charleston CDL work is dominated by Port of Charleston drayage — a top-tier East Coast container gateway. I-26 / I-526 / US-17 carry port freight inland. Hurricane season is a real operational variable on the coast. Cost of living is moderate.
Driving CDL in South Carolina
South Carolina freight is anchored by the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 / I-85 corridors serving the BMW assembly plant in Spartanburg and Volvo near Charleston. The Greenville-Spartanburg manufacturing corridor adds steady industrial freight. South Carolina has moderate-to-high graduated state income tax; the upstate is more affordable than the coast. Hurricane season affects the coast (June-November); inland SC is generally easier driving. The auto-supplier lanes around Spartanburg run on tight just-in-time schedules — minute-level dispatch precision matters.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Charleston, South Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Charleston, South Carolina
- Best trucking companies in South Carolina
The methodology behind the rankings
Compensation is the largest single weight at 30% — pay percentile, sign-on bonus, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement cadence. FMCSA safety contributes 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions with unsafe-driving and hours-of-service weighted 2× heavier. Benefits contribute 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator and 1099 carriers. Operational performance — application responsiveness and fleet scale — contributes 20%. Updated November 2026.