Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Columbia, South Carolina (November 2026)
309 W2 trucking carriers are hiring in Columbia, South Carolina this November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,225/week. Columbia is the I-20 / I-26 / I-77 crossroads in central South Carolina, serving as a central inland distribution point with military logistics at Fort Jackson, manufacturing distribution, and agricultural freight.
What changed in November 2026
Mountain States L.P. Gas at #5 and ARKA EXPRESS INC at #8 are new to the top 50 in Columbia, South Carolina. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#30 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #18) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#38 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 5 left, and 36 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #30 | #1 | Up 29 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #10 | #2 | Up 8 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #2 | #3 | Down 1 place |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #3 | #4 | Down 1 place |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #5 | #6 | Down 1 place |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #6 | #7 | Down 1 place |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| South East Carriers INC | #4 | #9 | Down 5 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #7 | #10 | Down 3 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #8 | #11 | Down 3 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #9 | #12 | Down 3 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #11 | #13 | Down 2 places |
| THE WAGGONERS TRUCKING | #13 | #14 | Down 1 place |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #12 | #15 | Down 3 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #14 | #16 | Down 2 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #18 | Down 17 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #22 | #20 | Up 2 places |
| KOCH CARRIERS INC | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #22 | New |
| A & H INC | #27 | #23 | Up 4 places |
| NEIER INC | #20 | #24 | Down 4 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #21 | #25 | Down 4 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #23 | #26 | Down 3 places |
| STARRETTE HOUSTON TRUCKING LLC | #26 | #27 | Down 1 place |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #24 | #28 | Down 4 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #25 | #29 | Down 4 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #34 | #30 | Up 4 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #28 | #32 | Down 4 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #29 | #33 | Down 4 places |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #33 | #34 | Down 1 place |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #35 | New |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #32 | #36 | Down 4 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #36 | #37 | Down 1 place |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #37 | #38 | Down 1 place |
| COYOTE XPRESS LLC | Not ranked | #40 | New |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| Caravan Inc | #41 | #43 | Down 2 places |
| Southland Transportation | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #44 | #45 | Down 1 place |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #45 | #46 | Down 1 place |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #49 | #48 | Up 1 place |
| National Express Carriers | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #38 | #50 | Down 12 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #16 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| ANTLER TRANSPORT LLC | #35 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| K & R TRANSPORT LLC | #46 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where CDL pay is strongest in Columbia, 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 Columbia, South Carolina this month on the composite ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 89th percentile for weekly pay among Columbia, South Carolina carriers. Lanefinder's application data flags Herrington Transportation Inc. as a responsive employer.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,225/wk
True Transport Inc. climbed from #10 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Columbia, South Carolina. True Transport Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 94th percentile across Columbia, South Carolina. True Transport Inc. ranks in the 98th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,225/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 93rd percentile for weekly pay among Columbia, South Carolina carriers. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's top FMCSA dimension is vehicle maintenance, in the 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #8 ARKA EXPRESS INC at $1,750/wk, #9 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
What Columbia, South Carolina drivers actually run
23% of Columbia, South Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 73% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (4%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Columbia, South Carolina postings; dedicated routes at 28%; take-truck-home at 82%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 65% and riders-allowed at 68%.
Columbia, South Carolina vs South Carolina: the numbers that diverge
| Columbia, South Carolina | South Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet-friendly fleets | 80% | 72% | +8 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 86% | 78% | +8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, pet-friendly fleets is where Columbia, South Carolina differs most from South Carolina — 8 points above statewide.
Driving CDL in Columbia
Columbia anchors central South Carolina at the I-20 / I-26 / I-77 cross. State government supply chains, University of SC distribution, and regional manufacturing drive freight. Cost of living is below the national average. Summer heat is significant; ice events in winter are infrequent but disruptive.
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 Columbia, South Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Columbia, South Carolina
- Best trucking companies in South Carolina
Where this data comes from
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 November 2026.