Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Tennessee (November 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 655 active W2 trucking carriers in Tennessee this November 2026. HandledNow LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,550 and an average $7,500 sign-on bonus. Herrington Transportation Inc. follows at $2,000/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 November 2026
McLeod Express LLC at #4, SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #8, and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #10 are new to the top 50 in Tennessee. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#39 → #2), FW TRUCKING (#26 → #3), and True Transport Inc. (#21 → #6). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#2 → #27), KOCH CARRIERS INC (#22 → #34), and SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC (#12 → #23). Elsewhere in the top 50, 6 carriers joined, 9 left, and 34 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #39 | #2 | Up 37 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #26 | #3 | Up 23 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | Not ranked | #4 | New |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #21 | #6 | Up 15 places |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #7 | Down 2 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #4 | #9 | Down 5 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| CAR TRANSPORT INC | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #6 | #13 | Down 7 places |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #14 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #7 | #15 | Down 8 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #16 | New |
| Clean Recompression LLC | #9 | #17 | Down 8 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #8 | #18 | Down 10 places |
| Maumee Express, Inc. | #10 | #19 | Down 9 places |
| GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION | #13 | #20 | Down 7 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #11 | #21 | Down 10 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #16 | #22 | Down 6 places |
| SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC | #12 | #23 | Down 11 places |
| Texas Pride Fuels | #18 | #24 | Down 6 places |
| THE WAGGONERS TRUCKING | #17 | #25 | Down 8 places |
| TRACIE MCCORMICK INC | #15 | #26 | Down 11 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #2 | #27 | Down 25 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #23 | #28 | Down 5 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #29 | New |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #24 | #30 | Down 6 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #28 | #31 | Down 3 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #25 | #32 | Down 7 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #27 | #33 | Down 6 places |
| KOCH CARRIERS INC | #22 | #34 | Down 12 places |
| CUSTOM TRANSPORT INC | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| A & H INC | #37 | #36 | Up 1 place |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #31 | #37 | Down 6 places |
| R B HUMPHREYS INC | Not ranked | #38 | New |
| Energy Carriers | #35 | #39 | Down 4 places |
| TRIUS TRUCKING INC | #34 | #40 | Down 6 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #38 | #41 | Down 3 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #40 | #42 | Down 2 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #41 | #44 | Down 3 places |
| REVV TRANSPORT | #44 | #45 | Down 1 place |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #45 | #46 | Down 1 place |
| StaffWorthy | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| Southland Transportation | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #14 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Best Logistics Group | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #20 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #30 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #32 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| ARCTIC EXPRESS | #33 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #36 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #43 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SILVER EAGLE LOGISTICS LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Tennessee this month
The top of the list is HandledNow LLC at $1,550/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1HandledNow LLC — $1,550/wk
HandledNow LLC is number-one in Tennessee this month on the composite ranking. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 99th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer. HandledNow LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. rose 37 positions month-over-month, from #39 to #2. Weekly pay here lands in the 92nd percentile across Tennessee. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING rose 23 positions month-over-month, from #26 to #3. FW TRUCKING's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 McLeod Express LLC at $1,525/wk, #5 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $2,100/wk, #6 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #7 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #8 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #9 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #10 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/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: 2% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 72% take-truck-home, 57% 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 November 2026.