Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Tennessee (September 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 652 active W2 trucking carriers in Tennessee this September 2026. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,750/week. Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx global air hub and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, while Nashville-area automotive and manufacturing plants drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The trucking companies leading Tennessee 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 Tennessee this month on the composite ranking. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Tennessee median.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,750/wk
FW TRUCKING's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 92nd percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Tennessee.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's weekly pay ranks in the 95th percentile across Tennessee. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 99th percentile.
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC leads Tennessee's top 10 on sign-on bonus, advertising $10,000 for new drivers.
Also in the top 10: #4 IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC at $1,500/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 WOODFIELD INC at $1,450/wk, #8 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #9 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,750/wk, #10 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk.
What Tennessee drivers actually run
28% of Tennessee's active CDL postings are regional and 60% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (12%).
Across Tennessee CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 71% take-truck-home, 58% pet-friendly, 59% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in Tennessee
Tennessee is a critical national freight crossroads: Memphis hosts the FedEx Express World Hub — one of the world's largest air cargo hubs by tonnage — and a major trucking interchange on I-40 / I-55, with the nightly sort cycle generating enormous regional dispatch demand. Nashville-area automotive (Nissan Smyrna) and manufacturing drive dense I-65 / I-24 lane activity. Cost of living is below the national average; Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. East TN (Chattanooga, Knoxville) is mountain-adjacent — I-40 east through the Smokies and I-24 across Monteagle pass have real winter weight.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Tennessee
- CDL driver salary in Tennessee
- Best trucking companies in the United States
Where this data comes from
Compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance — weighted 30, 25, 25, and 20 percent respectively. Compensation extends beyond headline pay to include sign-on bonus tier and settlement cadence. Benefits scoring differs by hiring type because the perks that matter to a W2 driver and a contractor are not the same. Updated September 2026.