Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Portland, Maine (September 2026)
For W2 company drivers in Portland, Maine, Lanefinder tracks 190 carriers as of September 2026. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC follows at $1,750/week. Portland, Maine, handles the Port of Portland on Casco Bay, a key petroleum and dry-bulk terminal for northern New England, with I-95 connecting it to Boston and lobster and seafood cold-chain generating regional loads.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Portland, Maine'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 tops the Portland, Maine ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 94th percentile for weekly pay among Portland, Maine carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
#2PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC — $1,750/wk
PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC's top FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 98th percentile.
#3G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC — $2,045/wk
G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC pays above the 87th percentile on weekly pay for the Portland, Maine market. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 98th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 ABENAQUI CARRIERS at $1,750/wk, #5 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #6 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #7 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk, #8 BRADY TRUCKING INC at $1,750/wk, #9 MC CARRIER LLC at $1,700/wk, #10 M&D TRANSPORT at $2,400/wk.
What Portland, Maine drivers actually run
The route mix in Portland, Maine this month tilts OTR: 12% regional, 84% OTR, 3% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Portland, Maine postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 78%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 63% and riders-allowed at 65%.
Where Portland, Maine differs from the Maine baseline
| Portland, Maine | Maine top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 82% | +8 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 30% | 36% | -6 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 70% | 64% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
The largest gap is on take-truck-home: Portland, Maine sits 8 points above the Maine baseline.
Driving CDL in Maine
Maine CDL work runs up I-95 to the Port of Portland and beyond, with paper and forest-products loads (less than in past decades but still meaningful), lobster and seafood cold-chain headed south, and cross-border trade to Atlantic Canada through Houlton and Calais. The state is large and sparsely populated — long lanes between population centers. Winter is severe and long; coastal Maine adds saltwater corrosion concerns. Maine has a high graduated state income tax. Most carriers running Maine have done so for decades; route knowledge matters.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Portland, Maine
- CDL driver salary in Portland, Maine
- Best trucking companies in Maine
The methodology behind the 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 September 2026.