Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Texas (July 2026)
Through July 2026, 574 carriers in Texas employ W2 company drivers across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads with an average weekly pay of $1,680. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/week. Texas freight moves on I-10 / I-35 / I-20 corridors connecting Gulf Coast energy and Port of Houston to border crossings at Laredo and El Paso — two of the busiest US-Mexico commercial crossings — and large retail and manufacturing distribution inland.
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 Texas 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 tops the Texas ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 91st percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 97th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc.'s weekly pay ranks in the 97th percentile across Texas. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #9 FISHER59 LLC at $2,250/wk, #10 SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC at $2,437/wk.
What Texas drivers actually run
The route mix in Texas this month tilts OTR: 20% regional, 61% OTR, 14% local, 4% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Texas postings; dedicated routes at 29%; take-truck-home at 62%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 52% and riders-allowed at 50%.
Driving CDL in Texas
Texas is the largest CDL market in the country and the deepest mix of lane types. Cross-border work out of Laredo and El Paso, oil-field service in the Permian Basin, dedicated retail out of Dallas and Houston, and reefer pulling produce out of the Rio Grande Valley all run from different parts of the state — and they pay very differently. Texas has favorable trucking regulations and no state income tax, which is real money on the back end. The summer heat is the operational variable most newcomers underestimate; equipment, hours, and load-securing all behave differently when ambient temps hit 110°F.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Texas
- CDL driver salary in Texas
- Best trucking companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Rankings combine four signals: compensation (30%) including pay percentile, sign-on bonuses, guaranteed pay, and settlement frequency; FMCSA safety (25%); benefits (25%) scored differently for W2 vs owner-operator carriers; and operational performance (20%) measuring employer responsiveness and fleet scale. Recomputed monthly from real active job postings. Updated July 2026.