Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in South Carolina (July 2026)
South Carolina's W2 trucking market includes 480 active carriers as of July 2026. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads with an average weekly pay of $1,680. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/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 July 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 LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY at $1,680/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY — $1,680/wk
LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY is number-one in South Carolina this month on the composite ranking. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 91st percentile. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 97th percentile. Forest Brook Trucking LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,225/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 91st percentile on weekly pay for the South Carolina market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 99th percentile.
For pure pay maximization, True Transport Inc. beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $2,225.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #9 Clean Recompression LLC at $2,000/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 62% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 13%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of South Carolina postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 68%. 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 July 2026.