Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Portsmouth, Virginia (November 2026)
For W2 company drivers in Portsmouth, Virginia, Lanefinder tracks 273 carriers as of November 2026. 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. Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads, the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast (55 ft after the Gateway dredging program), with I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connecting it to the mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets.
What changed in November 2026
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #5, Mountain States L.P. Gas at #6, and DICK LAVY TRUCKING at #8 are new to the top 50 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#28 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #20) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#37 → #48). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Where CDL pay is strongest in Portsmouth, Virginia this month
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 tops the Portsmouth, Virginia ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. HandledNow LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 99th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Portsmouth, Virginia.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. climbed from #28 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Portsmouth, Virginia. Pay sits above the 83rd percentile in the Portsmouth, Virginia market. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Portsmouth, Virginia.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 90th percentile on weekly pay for the Portsmouth, Virginia market. 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 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #6 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #7 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #8 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #9 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Portsmouth, Virginia
Of active CDL postings in Portsmouth, Virginia this month, 19% are regional and 78% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 3%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Portsmouth, Virginia postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 82%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 69% and riders-allowed at 67%.
Where Portsmouth, Virginia differs from the Virginia baseline
| Portsmouth, Virginia | Virginia top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 40% | 46% | -6 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 24% | 40% | -16 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 76% | 66% | +10 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 78% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, dedicated routes is where Portsmouth, Virginia differs most from Virginia — 16 points below statewide.
Driving CDL in Virginia
Virginia freight is anchored by the Port of Virginia at Norfolk and Hampton Roads — the deepest commercial harbor on the East Coast and a top-tier US container gateway. The I-95 / I-64 / I-81 truck corridors connect Norfolk to mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets, with I-81 north-south through the Shenandoah Valley a major regional freight spine. Cost of living varies widely (high in Northern Virginia, moderate elsewhere). Virginia has a moderate graduated state income tax. Northern Virginia (DC suburbs) congestion is consistently top-tier; central and western VA is generally easier driving.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Portsmouth, Virginia
- CDL driver salary in Portsmouth, Virginia
- Best trucking companies in Virginia
How we compile these rankings
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated November 2026.