Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Raleigh, North Carolina (November 2026)
In Raleigh, North Carolina as of November 2026, 311 carriers are actively hiring W2 company drivers. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. Raleigh is the Research Triangle's primary distribution node on I-40 / I-540 / US-1, with pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing, life-sciences cold-chain freight from Research Triangle Park, and rapid population growth driving last-mile demand.
What changed in November 2026
Mountain States L.P. Gas at #5, DICK LAVY TRUCKING at #6, and ARKA EXPRESS INC at #8 are new to the top 50 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#31 → #1). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #16) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#36 → #49). Elsewhere in the top 50, 3 carriers joined, 6 left, and 34 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #31 | #1 | Up 30 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #8 | #2 | Up 6 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #2 | #3 | Down 1 place |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #3 | #4 | Down 1 place |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #7 | #10 | Down 3 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #9 | #12 | Down 3 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #11 | #13 | Down 2 places |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #10 | #14 | Down 4 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #12 | #15 | Down 3 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #16 | Down 15 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #14 | #17 | Down 3 places |
| Best Logistics Group | #15 | #18 | Down 3 places |
| A & H INC | #26 | #20 | Up 6 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #20 | #21 | Down 1 place |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #22 | New |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #17 | #23 | Down 6 places |
| NEIER INC | #18 | #24 | Down 6 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #21 | #26 | Down 5 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #23 | #27 | Down 4 places |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #24 | #28 | Down 4 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #27 | #30 | Down 3 places |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #32 | #31 | Up 1 place |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #32 | New |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #28 | #33 | Down 5 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| A.D. Transport Express, Inc. | #33 | #35 | Down 2 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #35 | #37 | Down 2 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #37 | #38 | Down 1 place |
| REVV TRANSPORT | #38 | #39 | Down 1 place |
| COYOTE XPRESS LLC | Not ranked | #40 | New |
| Caravan Inc | #39 | #42 | Down 3 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #40 | #43 | Down 3 places |
| Southland Transportation | #42 | #44 | Down 2 places |
| Bakers Express | #43 | #45 | Down 2 places |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #36 | #49 | Down 13 places |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #13 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #16 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| NTC TRUCKING LLC | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| K & R TRANSPORT LLC | #45 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where CDL pay is strongest in Raleigh, North Carolina this month
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. is number-one in Raleigh, North Carolina this month on the composite ranking. The carrier ranks in the 90th percentile for weekly pay in Raleigh, North Carolina. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. rose 6 positions month-over-month, from #8 to #2. True Transport Inc. pays above the 91st percentile on weekly pay for the Raleigh, North Carolina market. True Transport Inc.'s top FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 98th percentile.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 94th percentile for weekly pay among Raleigh, North Carolina carriers. Top FMCSA dimension here is vehicle maintenance, in the 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #6 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 ARKA EXPRESS INC at $1,750/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Raleigh, North Carolina
22% of Raleigh, North Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 75% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Across Raleigh, North Carolina CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 80% take-truck-home, 66% pet-friendly, 67% riders-allowed.
How Raleigh, North Carolina compares to North Carolina
| Raleigh, North Carolina | North Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 26% | 38% | -12 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 86% | 78% | +8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Raleigh, North Carolina's biggest divergence from North Carolina is on dedicated routes, 12 points below the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Raleigh
Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle on I-40 / I-440. Pharmaceutical, tech-sector, and government / university supply chains carry most of the dispatch volume. RDU airport cargo adds air-freight drayage. Cost of living is moderate. Winter weather is moderate.
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 Raleigh, North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Best trucking companies in North Carolina
How we compile these rankings
The composite score is 30% compensation, 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits, and 20% operational performance. Pay percentiles are computed against carriers currently hiring in each market; FMCSA percentiles come from SAFER and weight unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 2× heavier than the other three dimensions. Updated November 2026.