Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Pontiac, Michigan (November 2026)
Through November 2026, 364 carriers in Pontiac, Michigan employ W2 company drivers across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,550/week. Michigan is the US automotive manufacturing heartland, with Detroit and the I-94 / I-75 corridor carrying dense parts-and-assembly flows and Great Lakes ports at Detroit, Muskegon, and Sault Ste. Marie handling bulk commodities.
What changed in November 2026
McLeod Express LLC at #2, SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #6, and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #7 are new to the top 50 in Pontiac, Michigan. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#33 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #22), Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. (#9 → #19), and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#40 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 33 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Pontiac, Michigan's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is Herrington Transportation Inc. at $2,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. tops the Pontiac, Michigan ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Pay sits above the 86th percentile in the Pontiac, Michigan market. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Pontiac, Michigan median.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,550/wk
McLeod Express LLC debuts in the Pontiac, Michigan top 50 this month — it wasn't tracked here last month. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 94th percentile. McLeod Express LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
Among Pontiac, Michigan's top 10, only McLeod Express LLC pays guaranteed weekly wages — useful if route variance matters.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. rose 9 positions month-over-month, from #12 to #3. Weekly pay here lands in the 97th percentile across Pontiac, Michigan. 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 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #7 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Pontiac, Michigan
The route mix in Pontiac, Michigan this month tilts OTR: 24% regional, 66% OTR, 9% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Pontiac, Michigan postings; dedicated routes at 29%; take-truck-home at 72%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 60%.
How Pontiac, Michigan compares to Michigan
| Pontiac, Michigan | Michigan top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 32% | 42% | -10 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 80% | +10 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Pontiac, Michigan's biggest divergence from Michigan is on dedicated routes, 10 points below the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Michigan
Michigan is the US automotive heartland — a huge share of CDL work in the state is tied to auto-parts inbound or finished-vehicle outbound. Detroit / Dearborn / Flint lanes have a distinctive operational rhythm that follows plant production schedules, including summer shutdown weeks when freight volume often drops. Winter is the dominant operational variable: lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan can shut down west-side runs, and the freeze-thaw cycle on I-94, I-75, and I-96 means road surfaces are rough year-round. State income tax is flat and moderate. The Upper Peninsula is genuinely remote — long stretches with no fuel stops or services — and most newer drivers shouldn't take UP loads until they've learned the territory.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Pontiac, Michigan
- CDL driver salary in Pontiac, Michigan
- Best trucking companies in Michigan
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.