Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in New Haven, Connecticut (September 2026)
242 carriers in New Haven, Connecticut are actively recruiting W2 company drivers as of September 2026. Each is scored on a composite of compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. Covenant Transport Inc follows at $1,762/week. New Haven sits on I-95 and I-91 on Long Island Sound, with the Port of New Haven handling heating oil and petroleum, Yale medical procurement, and a mix of manufacturing and retail distribution freight.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
New Haven, Connecticut's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC is number-one in New Haven, Connecticut this month on the composite ranking. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among New Haven, Connecticut carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
#2Covenant Transport Inc — $1,762/wk
Covenant Transport Inc's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile.
#3HandledNow LLC — $1,900/wk
HandledNow LLC ranks in the 98th percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 ROAD SCHOLAR TRANSPORTATION LLC at $2,000/wk, #5 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #6 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #7 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,700/wk, #8 GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION at $1,750/wk, #9 G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC at $2,045/wk, #10 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across New Haven, Connecticut
18% of New Haven, Connecticut's active CDL postings are regional and 71% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (11%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of New Haven, Connecticut postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 71%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 59% and riders-allowed at 60%.
New Haven, Connecticut vs Connecticut: the numbers that diverge
| New Haven, Connecticut | Connecticut top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 40% | 48% | -8 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 86% | 78% | +8 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 70% | 64% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 76% | 70% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
The largest gap is on sign-on bonus availability: New Haven, Connecticut sits 8 points below the Connecticut baseline.
Driving CDL in Connecticut
Connecticut CDL work is mostly last-mile and short-haul on the dense I-95 / I-91 / I-84 metro grid feeding the Northeast corridor. The Port of New Haven handles breakbulk; aerospace and defense manufacturing (Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Sikorsky in Stratford, plus RTX-related supplier networks) generate high-value freight. Cost of living is among the highest in the country and state income tax is high. Many drivers based here run out-of-state lanes to keep the math working. Truck-route restrictions on parkways and dense urban congestion make CT one of the higher-overhead states to operate in.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in New Haven, Connecticut
- CDL driver salary in New Haven, Connecticut
- Best trucking companies in Connecticut
Where this data comes from
Four weighted components. Compensation carries 30% and includes pay percentile, sign-on bonus tier, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement frequency. FMCSA safety carries 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions. Benefits carry 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator carriers. Operational performance carries 20%, measuring application responsiveness and fleet scale. Updated September 2026.