Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Southfield, Michigan (September 2026)
Southfield, Michigan's W2 trucking market includes 367 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. PREMIER TRANSPORTATION follows at $1,950/week. Michigan is the US automotive manufacturing heartland, with Detroit and the I-94 / I-75 corridor carrying dense parts-and-assembly flows and Great Lakes ports at Detroit, Muskegon, and Sault Ste. Marie handling bulk commodities.
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 Southfield, Michigan 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 is number-one in Southfield, Michigan this month on the composite ranking. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC as a responsive employer.
For sign-on cash, WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC posts the largest bonus in Southfield, Michigan's top 10 at $5,000.
#2PREMIER TRANSPORTATION — $1,950/wk
PREMIER TRANSPORTATION's weekly pay ranks in the 89th percentile across Southfield, Michigan. PREMIER TRANSPORTATION's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 98th percentile.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among Southfield, Michigan carriers. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 93rd percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #6 Big Foot Transport LLC at $2,650/wk, #7 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $1,850/wk, #8 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #9 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #10 ECM ENERGY SERVICES INC at $1,950/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Southfield, Michigan
Of active CDL postings in Southfield, Michigan this month, 24% are regional and 66% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 10%.
Across Southfield, Michigan CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 72% take-truck-home, 60% pet-friendly, 60% riders-allowed.
Where Southfield, Michigan differs from the Michigan baseline
| Southfield, Michigan | Michigan top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 26% | 34% | -8 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 64% | +8 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 88% | 82% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
The largest gap is on dedicated routes: Southfield, Michigan sits 8 points below the Michigan baseline.
Driving CDL in Michigan
Michigan is the US automotive heartland — a huge share of CDL work in the state is tied to auto-parts inbound or finished-vehicle outbound. Detroit / Dearborn / Flint lanes have a distinctive operational rhythm that follows plant production schedules, including layoff weeks where freight volume drops significantly. Winter is the dominant operational variable: lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan can shut down west-side runs, and the freeze-thaw cycle on I-94, I-75, and I-96 means road surfaces are rough year-round. State income tax is flat and moderate. The Upper Peninsula is genuinely remote — long stretches with no fuel stops or services — and most newer drivers shouldn't take UP loads until they've learned the territory.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Southfield, Michigan
- CDL driver salary in Southfield, Michigan
- Best trucking companies in Michigan
The methodology behind the rankings
The score is built from four buckets. Thirty percent compensation, drawn from real active job postings and modified by bonus and settlement structure. Twenty-five percent safety, from FMCSA SAFER. Twenty-five percent benefits, scored hiring-type-aware. Twenty percent operational performance, drawn from how carriers actually behave toward applicants. Updated September 2026.