Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Paterson, New Jersey (November 2026)
Paterson, New Jersey has 302 active W2 trucking carriers as of November 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. 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 Paterson, New Jersey. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#27 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #20) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#35 → #47). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 6 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Paterson, 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 Paterson, New Jersey ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. HandledNow LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 99th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Paterson, New Jersey.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. climbed from #27 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Paterson, New Jersey. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 92nd percentile for weekly pay among Paterson, New Jersey carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Paterson, New Jersey median.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. rose 7 positions month-over-month, from #10 to #3. Weekly pay here lands in the 97th percentile across Paterson, New Jersey. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 98th percentile.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
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 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION at $1,750/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Paterson, New Jersey
19% of Paterson, New Jersey's active CDL postings are regional and 66% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (15%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Paterson, New Jersey postings; dedicated routes at 29%; take-truck-home at 69%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 57% and riders-allowed at 57%.
Paterson, New Jersey vs New Jersey: the numbers that diverge
| Paterson, 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
Among the figures above, dedicated routes is where Paterson, New Jersey differs most from New Jersey — 14 points below statewide.
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 Paterson, New Jersey
- CDL driver salary in Paterson, New Jersey
- Best trucking companies in New Jersey
The methodology behind the rankings
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 November 2026.