Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in South Carolina (September 2026)
South Carolina's W2 trucking market includes 472 active carriers as of September 2026. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC follows at $1,500/week. South Carolina freight is anchored by the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 / I-85 corridors serving BMW in Spartanburg and Volvo assembly near Charleston.
What changed in September 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 South Carolina this month
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $1,700/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,700/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads the South Carolina market on combined pay and ranking score this month. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC ranks in the 93rd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC — $1,500/wk
IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 87th percentile. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC runs a guaranteed-pay structure on the comp package.
For guaranteed weekly pay, IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC is the only top-10 South Carolina carrier offering it.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's weekly pay ranks in the 96th percentile across South Carolina. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC doesn't top the ranking but offers higher weekly pay than #1 — $2,200/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #6 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Clean Recompression LLC at $2,000/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in South Carolina
Of active CDL postings in South Carolina this month, 25% are regional and 61% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 14%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of South Carolina postings; dedicated routes at 28%; take-truck-home at 69%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 58% and riders-allowed at 57%.
Driving CDL in South Carolina
South Carolina freight is anchored by the Port of Charleston — a top-tier East Coast container gateway — with I-95 / I-26 / I-85 corridors serving the BMW assembly plant in Spartanburg and Volvo near Charleston. The Greenville-Spartanburg manufacturing corridor adds steady industrial freight. South Carolina has moderate-to-high graduated state income tax; the upstate is more affordable than the coast. Hurricane season affects the coast (June-November); inland SC is generally easier driving. The auto-supplier lanes around Spartanburg run on tight just-in-time schedules — minute-level dispatch precision matters.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in South Carolina
- CDL driver salary in South Carolina
- Best trucking companies in the United States
How we compile these rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated September 2026.