Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Linden, New Jersey (November 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 306 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Linden, New Jersey. Rankings below reflect November 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. HandledNow LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,875 and an average $3,750 sign-on bonus. Herrington Transportation Inc. follows at $2,000/week. New Jersey is the primary Northeast freight gateway through Port Newark / Elizabeth — the busiest container port on the East Coast — with the NJ Turnpike (I-95) and dense intermodal facilities serving the New York metro market.
What changed in November 2026
Mountain States L.P. Gas at #5 and DICK LAVY TRUCKING at #7 are new to the top 50 in Linden, New Jersey. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#26 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #19) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#37 → #47). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 6 left, and 36 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Linden, New Jersey's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is HandledNow LLC at $1,875/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1HandledNow LLC — $1,875/wk
HandledNow LLC tops the Linden, New Jersey ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. HandledNow LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile. HandledNow LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Linden, New Jersey median.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. is up from #26 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Linden, New Jersey ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 91st percentile for weekly pay among Linden, New Jersey carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Linden, New Jersey median.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. rose 6 positions month-over-month, from #9 to #3. Weekly pay here lands in the 97th percentile across Linden, New Jersey. 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 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #8 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #9 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #10 GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION at $1,750/wk.
What Linden, New Jersey drivers actually run
The route mix in Linden, New Jersey this month tilts OTR: 19% regional, 65% OTR, 13% local, 4% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Linden, New Jersey postings; dedicated routes at 30%; take-truck-home at 68%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 57% and riders-allowed at 56%.
Linden, New Jersey vs New Jersey: the numbers that diverge
| Linden, New Jersey | New Jersey top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 24% | 38% | -14 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 86% | 80% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
The largest gap is on dedicated routes: Linden, New Jersey sits 14 points below the New Jersey baseline.
Driving CDL in New Jersey
New Jersey is the primary Northeast freight gateway through Port Newark-Elizabeth — the busiest container port on the East Coast — with the NJ Turnpike (I-95) and dense intermodal facilities feeding the New York metro market. Drayage out of the port is a major CDL segment. Cost of living is high; New Jersey state income tax is high and graduated (peaks above 10%). Bridge and tunnel tolls, truck-route restrictions on the Garden State Parkway (trucks over 10,000 lb are barred north of Exit 105), and limits on certain Hudson crossings add planning overhead. Traffic around Fort Lee and the George Washington Bridge (I-95) is among the worst in the country.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Linden, New Jersey
- CDL driver salary in Linden, New Jersey
- Best trucking companies in New Jersey
How we compile these rankings
Rankings combine four signals: compensation (30%) including pay percentile, sign-on bonuses, guaranteed pay, and settlement frequency; FMCSA safety (25%); benefits (25%) scored differently for W2 vs owner-operator carriers; and operational performance (20%) measuring employer responsiveness and fleet scale. Recomputed monthly from real active job postings. Updated November 2026.