Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Rochester, Minnesota (May 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 315 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Rochester, Minnesota. Rankings below reflect May 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities metro grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, with large agricultural export volumes — soybeans, corn, and wheat — and a significant medical-device manufacturing sector.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Where CDL pay is strongest in Rochester, Minnesota this month
The top of the list is KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads the Rochester, Minnesota market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Weekly pay here lands in the 95th percentile across Rochester, Minnesota. Top FMCSA dimension here is controlled-substances compliance, in the 88th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Rochester, Minnesota market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 99th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among Rochester, Minnesota carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 94th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 HMD TRUCKING INC at $1,800/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 KOTTKE TRUCKING INC at $2,000/wk, #8 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #9 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,700/wk, #10 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Rochester, Minnesota
15% of Rochester, Minnesota's active CDL postings are regional and 82% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Rochester, Minnesota postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 81%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 68% and riders-allowed at 68%.
How Rochester, Minnesota compares to Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota's biggest divergence from Minnesota is on sign-on bonus availability, 6 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Minnesota
Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, a significant Lake Superior port. Agricultural exports — soybeans, corn, wheat — drive heavy outbound volume. A significant medical-device manufacturing sector (Medtronic and others) generates high-value freight. Winter is the dominant operational variable: sub-zero stretches affect equipment, idle-time policy, and HOS realism. Minnesota has a high graduated state income tax — among the higher rates in the country. The Twin Cities have unusually-designed truck-restricted bridges; first-time runs should consult routing notes carefully.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Rochester, Minnesota
- CDL driver salary in Rochester, Minnesota
- Best trucking companies in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
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 May 2026.