Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Gastonia, North Carolina (November 2026)
For W2 company drivers in Gastonia, North Carolina, Lanefinder tracks 355 carriers as of November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. North Carolina freight moves on I-85 and I-40 through the Charlotte-to-Raleigh-Durham manufacturing corridor and I-95 north-south, with Port of Wilmington handling containerized exports and a large furniture and textiles production base.
What changed in November 2026
Mountain States L.P. Gas at #5, DICK LAVY TRUCKING at #6, and ARKA EXPRESS INC at #8 are new to the top 50 in Gastonia, North Carolina. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#36 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #19) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#39 → #50). Average weekly pay moved most at LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (down 5.4% from $1,680 to $1,590). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 6 left, and 28 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #36 | #1 | Up 35 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #8 | #2 | Up 6 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 |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #7 | #10 | Down 3 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #10 | #12 | Down 2 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #9 | #13 | Down 4 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #12 | #14 | Down 2 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #13 | #16 | Down 3 places |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #11 | #17 | Down 6 places |
| Best Logistics Group | #16 | #18 | Down 2 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #19 | Down 18 placesweekly pay down 5.4% ($1,680 → $1,590); added dedicated routes |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #18 | #20 | Down 2 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #23 | #21 | Up 2 places |
| A & H INC | #26 | #22 | Up 4 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #21 | #23 | Down 2 places |
| NEIER INC | #20 | #24 | Down 4 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #25 | New |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #17 | #26 | Down 9 places |
| Energy Carriers | #24 | #27 | Down 3 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #27 | #29 | Down 2 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #25 | #30 | Down 5 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #35 | #31 | Up 4 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #29 | #33 | Down 4 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #35 | New |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| REVV TRANSPORT | #41 | #39 | Up 2 places |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #42 | #41 | Up 1 place |
| COYOTE XPRESS LLC | Not ranked | #42 | New |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #39 | #50 | Down 11 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #14 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #31 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| A.D. Transport Express, Inc. | #33 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Gastonia, North 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 Gastonia, North Carolina this month on the composite ranking. The carrier ranks in the 90th percentile for weekly pay in Gastonia, North Carolina. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. is up from #8 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Gastonia, North Carolina ranking. Pay sits above the 91st percentile in the Gastonia, North Carolina market. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 98th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
True Transport Inc. doesn't top the ranking but offers higher weekly pay than #1 — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's weekly pay ranks in the 94th percentile across Gastonia, North Carolina. Strongest FMCSA dimension is vehicle maintenance — 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 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 ARKA EXPRESS INC at $1,750/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Gastonia, North Carolina
23% of Gastonia, North Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 69% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (8%).
Across Gastonia, North Carolina CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 28% dedicated, 75% take-truck-home, 63% pet-friendly, 64% riders-allowed.
How Gastonia, North Carolina compares to North Carolina
| Gastonia, North Carolina | North Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 30% | 38% | -8 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 78% | 72% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 78% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Gastonia, North Carolina's biggest divergence from North Carolina is on dedicated routes, 8 points below the state baseline.
Driving CDL in North Carolina
North Carolina CDL work spans a broad mix — port-and-container out of Wilmington and Morehead City, manufacturing in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), distribution and textile freight around Charlotte, and tobacco / agricultural loads from the eastern half of the state. The driver-experience profile is generally favorable: moderate winters, no significant mountain work outside the western tip, and a cost of living a bit below the national average. State income tax is flat and moderate. I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte is one of the busier Southeast freight lanes. NC is one of the better states for a new CDL driver to build experience without immediately running mountains or severe weather.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Gastonia, North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Gastonia, North Carolina
- Best trucking companies in North Carolina
The methodology behind the rankings
Compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance — weighted 30, 25, 25, and 20 percent respectively. Compensation extends beyond headline pay to include sign-on bonus tier and settlement cadence. Benefits scoring differs by hiring type because the perks that matter to a W2 driver and a contractor are not the same. Updated November 2026.