Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Wilmington, North Carolina (May 2026)
There are 284 W2 trucking carriers currently posting jobs in Wilmington, North Carolina. The ranking below reflects active jobs as of May 2026, not historical pay surveys. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/week. North Carolina freight moves on I-85 through the Charlotte-to-Raleigh-Durham manufacturing corridor and I-95 north-south, with Port of Wilmington handling containerized exports and a large furniture and textiles production base.
What changed in May 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 Wilmington, North Carolina this month
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 Wilmington, North Carolina ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Pay sits above the 90th percentile in the Wilmington, North Carolina market. KEEP TRUCKING LLC's top FMCSA dimension is controlled-substances compliance, in the 88th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Wilmington, North Carolina.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Wilmington, North Carolina market. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Wilmington, North Carolina.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
#3TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC — $2,000/wk
TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC's weekly pay ranks in the 90th percentile across Wilmington, North Carolina. TITANIUM AMERICAN TRUCKING INC ranks in the 97th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 HMD TRUCKING INC at $1,800/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 YARBROUGH TRANSFER COMPANY at $1,850/wk, #9 Maumee Express, Inc. at $1,925/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Wilmington, North Carolina
20% of Wilmington, North Carolina's active CDL postings are regional and 79% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (1%).
Across Wilmington, North Carolina CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 25% dedicated, 83% take-truck-home, 69% pet-friendly, 68% riders-allowed.
How Wilmington, North Carolina compares to North Carolina
| Wilmington, North Carolina | North Carolina top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 44% | 39% | +5 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 82% | 73% | +9 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 78% | 71% | +7 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 28% | 33% | -5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
The largest gap is on riders-allowed policies: Wilmington, North Carolina sits 9 points above the North Carolina baseline.
Driving CDL in North Carolina
North Carolina CDL work spans a broad mix — port-and-container out of Wilmington and Morehead City, manufacturing in the Triangle (Raleigh-Durham), distribution and textile freight around Charlotte, and tobacco / agricultural loads from the eastern half of the state. The driver-experience profile is generally favorable: moderate winters, no significant mountain work outside the western tip, and a cost of living well below the national average even in the metro areas. State income tax is flat and moderate. I-85 between Greensboro and Charlotte is one of the busier Southeast freight lanes; weekday congestion through Greensboro is a planning variable. NC is one of the better states for a new CDL driver to build experience without immediately running mountains or severe weather.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Wilmington, North Carolina
- CDL driver salary in Wilmington, North Carolina
- Best trucking companies in North Carolina
How we compile these rankings
The composite score is 30% compensation, 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits, and 20% operational performance. Pay percentiles are computed against carriers currently hiring in each market; FMCSA percentiles come from SAFER and weight unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 2× heavier than the other three dimensions. Updated May 2026.