Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Utica, New York (May 2026)
Utica, New York has 244 active W2 trucking carriers as of May 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. New York freight is anchored by the Port of New York and New Jersey complex, the busiest on the East Coast, with I-87 / I-95 truck corridors and dense last-mile delivery demand across the New York City metro.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
How Utica, New York compares to New York
| Utica, New York | New York top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 29% | 42% | -13 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 84% | 77% | +7 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 73% | 67% | +6 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 65% | 60% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Utica, New York's biggest divergence from New York is on dedicated routes, 13 points below the state baseline.
Utica, New York's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC tops the Utica, New York ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. KEEP TRUCKING LLC pays above the 89th percentile on weekly pay for the Utica, New York market. On controlled-substances compliance, the carrier ranks in the 88th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags KEEP TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 91st percentile on weekly pay for the Utica, New York market. True Transport Inc.'s FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 99th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags True Transport Inc. as a responsive employer.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
#3MCK TRUCKING INC — $2,200/wk
MCK TRUCKING INC sits in the 94th percentile for weekly pay among Utica, New York carriers. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 91st percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 HMD TRUCKING INC at $1,875/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 ECM ENERGY SERVICES INC at $1,950/wk, #8 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #9 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 Safeway Trucking Corporation at $2,250/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Utica, New York
21% of Utica, New York's active CDL postings are regional and 75% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (4%).
Across Utica, New York CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 24% dedicated, 77% take-truck-home, 63% pet-friendly, 61% riders-allowed.
Driving CDL in New York
New York CDL work is mostly upstate or NYC-metro last-mile — almost no through-driver wants to deal with the Five Boroughs more than necessary. The patchwork of bridge tolls (MTA Bridges & Tunnels, Port Authority, Thruway Authority), the truck-route restrictions in Manhattan and on the parkways, and the weight-on-bridge rules add real planning overhead. Long Island delivery work pays a premium for drivers who can actually navigate it. Upstate freight on I-90 / I-87 looks much more like normal interstate driving, with the addition of real winter — lake-effect snow off Erie and Ontario can shut runs down. State income tax is high; many drivers based here run out-of-state lanes to keep the math working.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Utica, New York
- CDL driver salary in Utica, New York
- Best trucking companies in New York
How we compile these rankings
Lanefinder's ranking algorithm weights compensation at 30%, FMCSA SAFER safety at 25%, benefits at 25%, and operational performance at 20%. Compensation reflects pay percentile plus sign-on bonus, guaranteed pay, and settlement-frequency adjustments. Benefits scoring is hiring-type-aware. Operational performance comes mostly from how carriers handle real driver applications. Updated May 2026.