Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Columbus, Indiana (November 2026)
Columbus, Indiana, November 2026: 414 active W2 trucking carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. HandledNow LLC follows at $1,550/week. Indiana freight centers on Indianapolis as a major Midwest crossroads, where I-65 / I-70 / I-74 intersect, supporting automotive supply chains, pharmaceuticals, and a large steel-producing northwest corridor near Gary.
What changed in November 2026
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #6, MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #9, and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #10 are new to the top 50 in Columbus, Indiana. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#40 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#25 → #3), and True Transport Inc. (#17 → #4). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #31), South East Carriers INC (#6 → #22), and Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. (#14 → #25). Elsewhere in the top 50, 6 carriers joined, 9 left, and 34 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #40 | #1 | Up 39 places |
| HandledNow LLC | #1 | #2 | Down 1 place |
| FW TRUCKING | #25 | #3 | Up 22 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #17 | #4 | Up 13 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #8 | Down 3 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| McLeod Express LLC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| CAR TRANSPORT INC | Not ranked | #13 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #7 | #14 | Down 7 places |
| MCK TRUCKING INC | #10 | #15 | Down 5 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #16 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #9 | #17 | Down 8 places |
| Priority Waste LLC | #8 | #18 | Down 10 places |
| GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION | #12 | #19 | Down 7 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #11 | #20 | Down 9 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #13 | #21 | Down 8 places |
| South East Carriers INC | #6 | #22 | Down 16 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #16 | #23 | Down 7 places |
| LIGHTING RESOURCES LLC | #15 | #24 | Down 9 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #14 | #25 | Down 11 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #18 | #26 | Down 8 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #19 | #27 | Down 8 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #22 | #28 | Down 6 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #20 | #29 | Down 9 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #2 | #31 | Down 29 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #28 | #32 | Down 4 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #31 | #33 | Down 2 places |
| USMCA TRANSPORTATION LLC | #32 | #34 | Down 2 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #30 | #36 | Down 6 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #36 | #38 | Down 2 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #33 | #39 | Down 6 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #34 | #40 | Down 6 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #39 | #41 | Down 2 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #38 | #42 | Down 4 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #43 | New |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #41 | #44 | Down 3 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #42 | #45 | Down 3 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #45 | #47 | Down 2 places |
| DRAKE FARMS TRUCKING INC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #21 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #24 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #27 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #29 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #37 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #43 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| StaffWorthy | #46 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Columbus, Indiana 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 Columbus, Indiana ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. The carrier ranks in the 90th percentile for weekly pay in Columbus, Indiana. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2HandledNow LLC — $1,550/wk
HandledNow LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data. The comp package includes a guaranteed-pay structure — useful when freight slows.
For guaranteed weekly pay, HandledNow LLC is the only top-10 Columbus, Indiana carrier offering it.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING is up from #25 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Columbus, Indiana ranking. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 90th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
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 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #10 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Columbus, Indiana
The route mix in Columbus, Indiana this month tilts OTR: 25% regional, 70% OTR, 5% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across Columbus, Indiana CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 79% take-truck-home, 66% pet-friendly, 66% riders-allowed.
How Columbus, Indiana compares to Indiana
| Columbus, Indiana | Indiana top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 30% | 43% | -13 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 88% | 82% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 78% | 73% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Columbus, Indiana's biggest divergence from Indiana is on dedicated routes, 13 points below the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Indiana
Indiana freight centers on Indianapolis as a major Midwest crossroads — I-65, I-70, I-74, and I-69 all intersect here. Automotive parts (Subaru, Honda, Toyota plus Tier-1 suppliers), pharmaceutical distribution tied to Eli Lilly, FedEx Indianapolis (FedEx's second hub after Memphis Worldhub), and Amazon regional fulfillment all drive consistent lane demand. Cost of living is below the national average. Indiana has a low flat state income tax — among the lower rates in the Midwest. Northwest Indiana (Gary/Hammond) is steel-and-chemical industrial; treat it as Chicago-overflow.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Columbus, Indiana
- CDL driver salary in Columbus, Indiana
- Best trucking companies in Indiana
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.