Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Duluth, Minnesota (September 2026)
275 carriers are hiring W2 company drivers in Duluth, Minnesota right now, per Lanefinder's September 2026 snapshot. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC follows at $2,100/week. Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities metro grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, with large agricultural export volumes — soybeans, corn, and wheat — and a significant medical-device manufacturing sector.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Duluth, Minnesota's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $1,700/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,700/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tops the Duluth, Minnesota ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 93rd percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC as a responsive employer.
#2HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC sits in the 93rd percentile for weekly pay among Duluth, Minnesota carriers. Strongest FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance — 99th percentile.
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC leads Duluth, Minnesota's top 10 on sign-on bonus, advertising $10,000 for new drivers.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC pays above the 90th percentile on weekly pay for the Duluth, Minnesota market. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 93rd percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk, #9 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Duluth, Minnesota
Of active CDL postings in Duluth, Minnesota this month, 15% are regional and 81% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 4%.
Across Duluth, Minnesota CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 28% dedicated, 79% take-truck-home, 65% pet-friendly, 66% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in Minnesota
Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, a significant Lake Superior port. Agricultural exports — soybeans, corn, wheat — drive heavy outbound volume. A significant medical-device manufacturing sector (Medtronic and others) generates high-value freight. Winter is the dominant operational variable: sub-zero stretches affect equipment, idle-time policy, and HOS realism. Minnesota has a high graduated state income tax — among the higher rates in the country. The Twin Cities have unusually-designed truck-restricted bridges; first-time runs should consult routing notes carefully.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Duluth, Minnesota
- CDL driver salary in Duluth, Minnesota
- Best trucking companies in Minnesota
The methodology behind the rankings
The score is built from four buckets. Thirty percent compensation, drawn from real active job postings and modified by bonus and settlement structure. Twenty-five percent safety, from FMCSA SAFER. Twenty-five percent benefits, scored hiring-type-aware. Twenty percent operational performance, drawn from how carriers actually behave toward applicants. Updated September 2026.