Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Salem, Massachusetts (September 2026)
225 carriers in Salem, Massachusetts are actively recruiting W2 company drivers as of September 2026. Each is scored on a composite of compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. Covenant Transport Inc follows at $1,762/week. Massachusetts freight runs on the I-90 / I-93 / I-95 metro grid through Boston, with Port of Boston handling bulk and container cargo and a major concentration of biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing requiring cold-chain and hazmat lanes.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Salem, Massachusetts'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 leads the Salem, Massachusetts market on combined pay and ranking score this month. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC pays above the 90th percentile on weekly pay for the Salem, Massachusetts market. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
#2Covenant Transport Inc — $1,762/wk
Covenant Transport Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 99th percentile.
#3HandledNow LLC — $1,875/wk
HandledNow LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 98th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #5 ABENAQUI CARRIERS at $1,750/wk, #6 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #7 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #9 G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC at $2,045/wk, #10 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk.
What Salem, Massachusetts drivers actually run
The route mix in Salem, Massachusetts this month tilts OTR: 17% regional, 75% OTR, 7% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Salem, Massachusetts postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 71%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 60%.
Driving CDL in Massachusetts
Massachusetts freight runs on the I-90 / I-93 / I-95 grid through Boston, with the Port of Boston handling bulk and container cargo. A dense biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing cluster around Cambridge / Boston / Worcester requires cold-chain and hazmat-eligible lanes. The Big Dig tunnels have truck-height and hazmat restrictions worth checking before routing. Boston congestion is consistently in the worst US tier. Cost of living is among the highest nationally. Massachusetts has a moderate flat state income tax with an added surtax on very high incomes (not relevant for most drivers).
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Salem, Massachusetts
- CDL driver salary in Salem, Massachusetts
- Best trucking companies in Massachusetts
How we compile these rankings
Carriers are scored against carriers in their own market. The composite is 30% compensation (pay + bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement cadence), 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits (W2 vs owner-op scoring), and 20% operational performance (responsiveness + fleet scale). No paid placement — the weights are the same for every carrier in the index. Updated September 2026.