Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Duluth, Minnesota (July 2026)
272 carriers are hiring W2 company drivers in Duluth, Minnesota right now, per Lanefinder's July 2026 snapshot. True Transport Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,250. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/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 July 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 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. is number-one in Duluth, Minnesota this month on the composite ranking. True Transport Inc. sits in the 97th percentile for weekly pay among Duluth, Minnesota carriers. True Transport Inc.'s FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 99th percentile.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 97th percentile. Forest Brook Trucking LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Duluth, Minnesota median.
#3PREMIER TRANSPORTATION — $1,950/wk
PREMIER TRANSPORTATION's weekly pay ranks in the 86th percentile across Duluth, Minnesota. PREMIER TRANSPORTATION's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 97th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk, #9 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk, #10 BRADY TRUCKING INC at $1,750/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 83% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Across Duluth, Minnesota CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 80% take-truck-home, 66% pet-friendly, 66% riders-allowed.
Duluth, Minnesota vs Minnesota: the numbers that diverge
The largest gap is on sign-on bonus availability: Duluth, Minnesota sits 8 points above the Minnesota baseline.
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 July 2026.