Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in New Haven, Connecticut (May 2026)
246 carriers in New Haven, Connecticut are actively recruiting W2 company drivers as of May 2026. Each is scored on a composite of compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/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 May 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 KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC is number-one in New Haven, Connecticut this month on the composite ranking. Weekly pay here lands in the 95th percentile across New Haven, Connecticut. Top FMCSA dimension here is controlled-substances compliance, in the 88th percentile. KEEP TRUCKING LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 97th percentile across New Haven, Connecticut. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile. True Transport Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
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 94th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 HMD TRUCKING INC at $1,800/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #8 GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION at $1,750/wk, #9 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,700/wk, #10 Safeway Trucking Corporation at $2,250/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across New Haven, Connecticut
16% of New Haven, Connecticut's active CDL postings are regional and 74% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (10%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of New Haven, Connecticut postings; dedicated routes at 24%; take-truck-home at 73%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 61%.
New Haven, Connecticut vs Connecticut: the numbers that diverge
| New Haven, Connecticut | Connecticut top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 84% | +6 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 32% | 27% | +5 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 78% | 73% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
The largest gap is on take-truck-home: New Haven, Connecticut sits 6 points above 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 May 2026.