Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in East Lansing, Michigan (November 2026)
East Lansing, Michigan has 351 active W2 trucking carriers as of November 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,550/week. Michigan is the US automotive manufacturing heartland, with Detroit and the I-94 / I-75 corridor carrying dense parts-and-assembly flows and Great Lakes ports at Detroit, Muskegon, and Sault Ste. Marie handling bulk commodities.
What changed in November 2026
McLeod Express LLC at #2, SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #5, and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #7 are new to the top 50 in East Lansing, Michigan. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#32 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #20) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#38 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 38 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #32 | #1 | Up 31 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | Not ranked | #2 | New |
| True Transport Inc. | #10 | #3 | Up 7 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #3 | #6 | Down 3 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| South East Carriers INC | #5 | #13 | Down 8 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #7 | #14 | Down 7 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #9 | #15 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #11 | #16 | Down 5 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #8 | #17 | Down 9 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #12 | #18 | Down 6 places |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #14 | #19 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #20 | Down 19 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #13 | #22 | Down 9 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #21 | #23 | Down 2 places |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #17 | #24 | Down 7 places |
| A & H INC | #23 | #25 | Down 2 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #19 | #26 | Down 7 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #24 | #27 | Down 3 places |
| Scotland Transportation LLC | #34 | #28 | Up 6 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #22 | #29 | Down 7 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #25 | #30 | Down 5 places |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #30 | #31 | Down 1 place |
| TAYLOR TRUCK LINE INC | Not ranked | #32 | New |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #27 | #33 | Down 6 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #28 | #34 | Down 6 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #26 | #35 | Down 9 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #36 | New |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #35 | #37 | Down 2 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #37 | #39 | Down 2 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #36 | #40 | Down 4 places |
| GT WORLDWIDE TRANSPORT INC | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #39 | #42 | Down 3 places |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 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 |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #20 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #29 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| A.D. Transport Express, Inc. | #31 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Caravan Inc | #41 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading East Lansing, Michigan 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. leads the East Lansing, Michigan market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Herrington Transportation Inc. pays above the 86th percentile on weekly pay for the East Lansing, Michigan market. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in East Lansing, Michigan.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,550/wk
McLeod Express LLC makes its first-time appearance in East Lansing, Michigan's ranking this month. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 94th percentile. McLeod Express LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
Among East Lansing, Michigan's top 10, only McLeod Express LLC pays guaranteed weekly wages — useful if route variance matters.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. climbed from #10 to #3 this month — one of the biggest moves in East Lansing, Michigan. Weekly pay here lands in the 96th percentile across East Lansing, Michigan. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 98th percentile.
For pure pay maximization, True Transport Inc. beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $2,250.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #6 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #7 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in East Lansing, Michigan
23% of East Lansing, Michigan's active CDL postings are regional and 72% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (5%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of East Lansing, Michigan postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 77%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 64% and riders-allowed at 65%.
East Lansing, Michigan vs Michigan: the numbers that diverge
| East Lansing, Michigan | Michigan top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 94% | 80% | +14 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 30% | 42% | -12 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 76% | 66% | +10 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 82% | 76% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
East Lansing, Michigan's biggest divergence from Michigan is on take-truck-home, 14 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Michigan
Michigan is the US automotive heartland — a huge share of CDL work in the state is tied to auto-parts inbound or finished-vehicle outbound. Detroit / Dearborn / Flint lanes have a distinctive operational rhythm that follows plant production schedules, including summer shutdown weeks when freight volume often drops. Winter is the dominant operational variable: lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan can shut down west-side runs, and the freeze-thaw cycle on I-94, I-75, and I-96 means road surfaces are rough year-round. State income tax is flat and moderate. The Upper Peninsula is genuinely remote — long stretches with no fuel stops or services — and most newer drivers shouldn't take UP loads until they've learned the territory.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in East Lansing, Michigan
- CDL driver salary in East Lansing, Michigan
- Best trucking companies in Michigan
The methodology behind the rankings
Carriers are scored against carriers in their own market. The composite is 30% compensation (pay + bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement cadence), 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits (W2 vs owner-op scoring), and 20% operational performance (responsiveness + fleet scale). No paid placement — the weights are the same for every carrier in the index. Updated November 2026.