Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in North Carolina (November 2026)
In North Carolina as of November 2026, 556 carriers are actively hiring W2 company drivers. HandledNow LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,800 and an average $2,500 sign-on bonus. Herrington Transportation Inc. follows at $2,000/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
McLeod Express LLC at #3, SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #6, and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #9 are new to the top 50 in North Carolina. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#39 → #2) and True Transport Inc. (#18 → #5). Biggest fall: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #24). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 34 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #39 | #2 | Up 37 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | Not ranked | #3 | New |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #3 | #4 | Down 1 place |
| True Transport Inc. | #18 | #5 | Up 13 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #7 | Down 2 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| South East Carriers INC | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| Clean Recompression LLC | #8 | #13 | Down 5 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #7 | #14 | Down 7 places |
| GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION | #10 | #15 | Down 5 places |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #9 | #16 | Down 7 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #12 | #17 | Down 5 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #13 | #18 | Down 5 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #11 | #19 | Down 8 places |
| THE WAGGONERS TRUCKING | #14 | #20 | Down 6 places |
| Best Logistics Group | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #16 | #23 | Down 7 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #2 | #24 | Down 22 placesweekly pay up 1.9% ($1,560 → $1,590) |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #21 | #26 | Down 5 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #20 | #27 | Down 7 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #24 | #28 | Down 4 places |
| KOCH CARRIERS INC | #22 | #29 | Down 7 places |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| A & H INC | #34 | #31 | Up 3 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #27 | #32 | Down 5 places |
| Energy Carriers | #32 | #34 | Down 2 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #31 | #35 | Down 4 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #36 | New |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #29 | #37 | Down 8 places |
| TRIUS TRUCKING INC | #30 | #38 | Down 8 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #37 | #39 | Down 2 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #38 | #40 | Down 2 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #42 | New |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #41 | #43 | Down 2 places |
| StaffWorthy | Not ranked | #46 | New |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| Southland Transportation | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #28 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #35 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| TERMINAL TRANSPORT INC | #36 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #42 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| ANTLER TRANSPORT LLC | #43 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
North Carolina's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is HandledNow LLC at $1,800/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1HandledNow LLC — $1,800/wk
HandledNow LLC is number-one in North Carolina this month on the composite ranking. HandledNow LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 99th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags HandledNow LLC as a responsive employer.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. rose 37 positions month-over-month, from #39 to #2. Pay sits above the 87th percentile in the North Carolina market. Lanefinder's application data flags Herrington Transportation Inc. as a responsive employer.
#3McLeod Express LLC — $1,550/wk
McLeod Express LLC is new to the North Carolina top 50 this month — first appearance in this ranking. McLeod Express LLC ranks in the 94th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data. McLeod Express LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
Among North Carolina's top 10, only McLeod Express LLC pays guaranteed weekly wages — useful if route variance matters.
Also in the top 10: #4 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $2,100/wk, #5 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #6 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #7 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #8 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk.
What North Carolina drivers actually run
28% of North Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 57% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (15%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of North Carolina postings; dedicated routes at 28%; take-truck-home at 67%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 56% and riders-allowed at 56%.
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 North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in North Carolina
- Best trucking companies in the United States
How we compile these rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated November 2026.