Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Tennessee (July 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 655 active W2 trucking carriers in Tennessee this July 2026. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads with an average weekly pay of $1,680. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/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 July 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 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 leads the Tennessee market on combined pay and ranking score this month. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 91st percentile. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY responds to driver applications more reliably than the Tennessee median.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC ranks in the 97th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags Forest Brook Trucking LLC as a responsive employer.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 97th percentile across Tennessee. True Transport Inc.'s top FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,750/wk, #7 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC at $2,437/wk.
What Tennessee drivers actually run
27% of Tennessee's active CDL postings are regional and 61% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (12%).
Across Tennessee CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 26% 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 July 2026.