The best trucking company to work for is the one whose written pay structure and home-time schedule fit how you want to drive. Most lists of the best trucking companies to drive for rank carriers on a headline figure like “up to $110,000,” which hides what you earn in the first 90 days and how many weekends you are home.
This guide compares 8 carriers based on three key priorities: home time, guaranteed pay, and benefits. Use the comparison table and pay-related questions to shortlist two or three companies that match your needs. Before making a decision, confirm the actual terms with a recruiter in writing.
| TL;DR 1. The best trucking company to work for depends on what you protect first: home time, a pay guarantee, or benefits. This list sorts eight carriers by that goal instead of one score. 2. Walmart Private Fleet posts the largest annual figure here, and Old Dominion publishes a home-daily rate and paid training instead of a pay number. Both have experience or role limits. 3. Schneider, J.B. Hunt and Roehl publish routes for newer drivers and regional runs. Nussbaum, Maverick and Prime cover OTR with very different home-time structures. 4. Every “up to” pay number needs answers to three questions: for which role, after how long, and with which pay types included. |
The best trucking company to work for is the one whose written pay structure and home-time schedule fit how you want to drive. Most lists of the best trucking companies to drive for rank carriers on a headline figure like “up to $110,000,” which hides what you earn in the first 90 days and how many weekends you are home.
This guide compares 8 carriers based on three key priorities: home time, guaranteed pay, and benefits. Use the comparison table and pay-related questions to shortlist two or three companies that match your needs. Before making a decision, confirm the actual terms with a recruiter in writing.
What makes a trucking company one of the best to work for?
A trucking company is one of the best to work for when its pay structure and home-time schedule match how you want to drive, and when it puts those terms and its benefits in writing. A high number alone does not qualify it. The structure behind the number decides what you actually keep.
The timing matters in 2027.
Heavy Duty Trucking reported in September that a wave of driver pay increases arrived this year as freight capacity tightened, and its October coverage points to renewed pay competition heading into 2027. Offers keep moving amid the driver shortage, so a posting from spring may already be out of date.
Most fleets compare carriers by headline pay, and that comparison breaks because posted figures mix roles, tenure, and pay types. We grouped these carriers by the goal each fits best. The numbers are in reading order, not a score.
For each carrier, we looked at:
- Pay structure: cents per mile, hourly pay, weekly guarantees, and activity pay.
- Home time as posted: daily, weekly, or longer stretches out.
- Benefits: what is offered and when it starts.
- Independent recognition: where it exists, such as the CarriersEdge Best Fleets to Drive For list.
| SI No | Carrier | Best for | Posted pay (source) | Home time as posted | License as posted |
| 1 | Walmart Private Fleet | Experienced drivers | Regional: up to $110,000 first year. Local: up to $87,000 (Spring Valley, IL posting) | Weekly (regional), every evening (local) | Class A with Hazmat endorsement (or within 120 days of hire); 30 months experience or Walmart academy |
| 2 | Old Dominion | Home every day | No annual figure confirmed; paid weekly | About 95% of drivers home daily (careers page) | Class A with doubles/triples and tanker endorsements; 12 months’ experience or approved training; age 21+ |
| 3 | Schneider | New and experienced drivers | $61,864 average first-year pay (Schneider pay page, undated) | Set per listing | Jacksonville, FL listing open to all CDL holders |
| 4 | J.B. Hunt | Local and regional | $75,036 (Solon, OH local) and $49,400 (Grand Prairie, TX local) | More than 90% of drivers home daily or weekly (J.B. Hunt) | Grand Prairie, TX posting accepts Class A, B, C, or operator license |
| 5 | Roehl | Regional, home weekly | $1,435 weekly average for drivers with 1+ year (Roehl pay page, Sept 2026) | Daily, weekly or longer rotations by fleet | Not stated on pay page; experienced CDL-A target |
| 6 | Nussbaum | OTR with weekly home | $1,550 to $1,600 weekly guarantee in key locations (one posting) | Weekly; OTR drivers miss 2 to 3 weekends a year (one posting) | Class A; 6 months experience or training program |
| 7 | Maverick | Flatbed OTR | $.64 to $.67 CPM; $84,000 to $96,000 first-year average (experienced flatbed) | Flexible options; confirm by division | Not stated in source |
| 8 | Prime | Long-haul OTR | $1,550 to $1,850 weekly on one posted OTR reefer job (posting undated) | One day home per seven worked | Class A (no L, Z, G, O, K restrictions); N tank endorsement at hire; 6 months experience |
Which high-paying trucking companies and home-daily carriers stand out?
Walmart Private Fleet posts the largest annual figure in this guide, up to $110,000 in the first year on regional routes, and Old Dominion stands out for home-daily time rather than a pay number.
1. Walmart Private Fleet: regional pay up to $110,000 and weekly home time
Walmart runs its own fleet, so you haul Walmart freight on set regional or local routes. The Spring Valley, IL posting lists a mileage rate of $0.55 to $0.69 per mile.
- Pay: The Spring Valley, IL posting says regional drivers can earn up to $110,000 in the first year and local drivers up to $87,000. It also lists quarterly safety bonuses and annual pay increases, and says the pay range is discussed during hiring. The posting title advertises a $10,000 sign-on bonus but gives no terms.
- Home time: Weekly home time with consecutive days off for the regional job. Local drivers are home every evening.
- Benefits: Benefits start from day one: medical, dental, and vision options, a 401(k) with up to a 6% match, a stock purchase program, and company-paid life insurance and short-term disability. PTO is earned immediately, up to 21 days in the first year.
- Watch for: The posting asks for a Class A CDL with a Hazmat endorsement (or one within 120 days of hire) and 30 months of full-time Class A experience in the last three years, or completion of Walmart’s Fleet Development Academy. You must live within 250 miles of the facility or move within 90 days.
2. Old Dominion Freight Line: about 95% of drivers home daily
Old Dominion is an LTL carrier. Its careers page says about 95% of its drivers are home daily.
- Pay: We did not confirm an annual pay figure for Old Dominion, so none is quoted here. Drivers are paid weekly, so ask the recruiter for the rate for your role and terminal.
- Home time: The careers page says about 95% of drivers are home daily. Ask which role and terminal that figure covers.
- Benefits: A zero-premium employee-only medical plan, dental and vision, life insurance, a 401(k) match, PTO, and paid holidays. A paid training program of 280 hours is listed, and tuition reimbursement of up to $5,000 applies to current students or recent graduates hired into an open Class A role.
- Watch for: Postings ask for a Class A CDL with doubles/triples and tanker endorsements, age 21 or older, and either 12 months of experience, a recent Old Dominion-approved school graduation, or Old Dominion’s training program.
Which are the best trucking companies for new drivers?
J.B. Hunt, Schneider, and Old Dominion list starting points for new drivers: a six-week apprenticeship with a trainer, a dedicated job open to all CDL holders, and a 280-hour paid training program. Look for paid training, a written pay guarantee, and an account with set freight.
3. Schneider: paid weekly, with a first-year pay average on its pay page
Schneider posts OTR, regional, and dedicated jobs, and each listing names its own location rules.
- Pay: Schneider’s pay page lists an average first-year pay of $61,864 and says drivers are paid weekly. Pay combines mileage or hourly driving pay with hourly on-duty pay, and the page lists weekly performance pay and 70 to 80% earnings capability in the first three to six months. One Jacksonville, FL listing states a guarantee of at least $1,000 a week in the first 90 days.
- Home time: Set per listing, so read the home-time line on the exact job. The Jacksonville, FL listing requires you to live within 60 miles of Jacksonville.
- Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision plans with optional participation, and a 401(k) match of $0.50 per $1.00 on the first 6% of contributions, starting after three months. PTO starts at three days after six months, and six paid holidays apply after one year. The Jacksonville listing offers tuition reimbursement of $200 a month, up to $7,000.
- Watch for: The pay page lists sign-on bonuses but gives no amount or repayment terms, so ask for them in writing. Early-tenure pay can sit below the average.
4. J.B. Hunt: local and regional jobs with daily or weekly home time
J.B. Hunt says more than 90% of its drivers are home daily or weekly, and more than half are local drivers with daily home time. Most company jobs are local or regional.
- Pay: Posted averages vary by job. A local role near Solon, OH lists $75,036, and a local role near Grand Prairie, TX lists $49,400.
- Home time: The company says more than 90% of drivers are home daily or weekly. Check the home-time line on the exact posting.
- Benefits: PTO is available from day one, and the listings show benefits eligibility after 30 days. The apprenticeship pairs you with a trainer for six weeks.
- Watch for: Pay differs widely between the two postings we confirmed. The Grand Prairie, TX posting accepts Class A, B, C, or operator licenses, which makes it a starting point for CDL-B and CDL-C drivers.
Which are the best regional trucking companies to work for?
Roehl and Walmart both list home-weekly regional jobs, and Schneider and J.B. Hunt post regional routes too. Regional jobs trade some mileage for more frequent home time. FreightPro’s guide to the strategies to attract qualified truck drivers also notes that predictable, regional routes help drivers get home more often.
5. Roehl Transport: $1,435 weekly average for drivers with one or more years
Roehl lists national fleets, home weekly regional and dedicated fleets, rotation options such as 14 days out and 7 home, and home-daily local jobs.
- Pay: Roehl’s pay page lists an average of $1,435 a week, about $74,620 a year, for drivers with at least one year at Roehl, as of September 2026. The top 50% of drivers average $1,625 a week, or $84,500 a year.
- Home time: National fleets list 11 to 14 days out and 3 home. Regional and some dedicated fleets are home weekly, and local drivers are home every day.
- Benefits: We could not confirm Roehl’s current benefits list from its own pages, so none is quoted here. Ask for the benefits summary and start dates in writing.
- Watch for: The averages cover drivers with at least one year at Roehl, so a new hire may start lower. The pay page does not state a license class, and it targets experienced CDL-A drivers.
Which are the best OTR trucking companies for experienced drivers?
Nussbaum, Maverick, and Prime are the OTR carriers in this guide, and they differ most in how they schedule you home. One Nussbaum posting lists weekly home, Maverick centers on flatbed per-mile pay, and Prime’s posting lists one day home per seven days worked.
6. Nussbaum Transportation: weekly guarantee and weekly home time
Nussbaum is a returning member of the CarriersEdge Hall of Fame in 2026. In May, it announced the largest driver pay increase in its history, with higher mileage rates, expanded guarantees, and profit sharing.
- Pay: A September increase raised activity pay from $20 to $23, relays from $12 to $15, detention from $20 to $25, and the weekly guarantee by $50. One posting lists a $1,550 to $1,600 weekly guarantee in key locations.
- Home time: One posting says drivers are home weekly, and OTR drivers miss two to three weekends a year.
- Benefits: One posting lists health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a 401(k) match, eight paid holidays, PTO up to five weeks, 100% paid parking and an employee stock ownership plan.
- Watch for: The posting asks for a Class A CDL and either six months of experience or completion of Nussbaum’s training program. It lists age 21 in the requirements but 18 in the application consent box, so confirm the minimum age.
7. Maverick Transportation: flatbed OTR pay raised May 31, 2026
Maverick runs flatbed, glass, and dedicated divisions. It announced raises effective May 31, 2026.
- Pay: Flatbed OTR drivers got a $.04 per mile increase, and more than 10 dedicated flatbed and glass divisions also received raises. Experienced flatbed drivers are listed at $.64 to $.67 CPM, with a first-year average of $84,000 to $96,000. Student flatbed drivers are listed at $.59 CPM and $73,000 to $80,000.
- Home time: The source lists flexible home-time options without specifics, so ask by division.
- Benefits: The Heavy Duty Trucking article lists performance bonuses, a paid pre-employment evaluation, paid vacation and holidays, a 401(k) match, virtual doctor visits, an employee assistance program, and referral bonuses.
- Watch for: The source does not state the license class. Ask whether tarp pay, stop pay, and detention are paid separately from the mileage rate.
8. Prime Inc.: long-haul OTR with one day home per seven worked
Prime is a returning CarriersEdge Hall of Fame member in 2026. It posts long-haul OTR jobs for company drivers.
- Pay: One undated OTR reefer posting for company drivers lists $1,550 to $1,850 per week on 2,500 to 3,000 miles.
- Home time: The posting lists one day off for every seven days worked and 30 to 42 expected days out.
- Benefits: Not itemized in the posting we confirmed. Ask for the current benefits summary.
- Watch for: The posting asks for a Class A CDL with no L, Z, G, O, or K restrictions, an N tank endorsement at hire, and six months of tractor-trailer experience. Employee reviews on Indeed, updated July 20, 2026, average 3.7 overall across 1,846 reviews, with work-life balance at 2.7 out of 5.
How do you check a company’s real pay and home time before you accept?
Ask for the pay terms and home-time schedule for your exact fleet in writing before you accept.
Compare the posting against what the pay number includes and the days-out schedule, then check when benefits start. A recruiter who answers in specifics gives you more to work with than a headline does.
| What the posting says | What to ask |
| “Up to $110,000” or “average $90,000” | Which role, how long to reach it, and what share of drivers in my fleet get there. |
| “Home weekly” | How many hours at home, on which days, and how many weekends drivers missed last quarter. |
| “Weekly guarantee” | How long it lasts, and what happens to it when freight is slow. |
| “Sign-on bonus” | Whether it is paid in installments and what happens if I leave early. |
| “Benefits from day one” | Whether that includes medical or only PTO. Medical start dates differ, from day one on the Walmart posting to 30 days on J.B. Hunt listings. |
| “Dedicated account” | Which customer, which lanes, how many stops, and whether I load or unload. |
Example: a posting lists a $1,600 weekly average and a $1,300 guarantee. If the guarantee covers the first 90 days and the average assumes a year of tenure, your first quarter pays closer to $1,300 a week.
If a posting leaves out pay structure, home time, or when health coverage starts, ask the recruiter for them. FreightPro’s guide on how to recruit truck drivers says carriers should state all three.
Its post on common CDL driver hiring mistakes lists vague job postings as a problem. If a posting is vague, ask the recruiter to fill in those details.
What does the Best Fleets to Drive For list tell you about a carrier?
The Best Fleets to Drive For list, run by CarriersEdge, recognizes for-hire fleets with 10 or more tractor-trailers that a driver or owner-operator nominated and that score well on a management questionnaire and a driver survey. It tells you about a company’s programs, not your terminal’s day-to-day.
The 2026 Top 20 included Crawford Trucking of Des Moines, Iowa, which won Best Overall Fleet in the small carrier category on March 17, 2026. Fortigo Freight Services, based in Ontario, won the large category. FTC Transportation of Oklahoma City took the Stratosphere Award, and Nussbaum and Prime are Hall of Fame members.
Nominations run from Labor Day to Halloween, and the Top 20 is usually revealed in late January or early February. The 2027 list should land early in the year, and this guide will be refreshed then. Treat an award as one input, and ask drivers currently at the terminal how the schedule really runs.
Where can you compare these jobs and talk to other drivers?
The FreightPro app lets CDL-A, CDL-B, and CDL-C drivers compare local, regional, and OTR jobs in one place, with pay and benefits shown up front and a fit score on each job. It also has a community where you can follow drivers and companies and see what other drivers post.
Your profile can list your experience, endorsements, equipment, run type, and home-time and pay expectations, so the jobs you see match how you want to drive. You can apply quickly from your phone and add a video introduction to your profile.
Between jobs, the same app has truck-focused turn-by-turn navigation, break planning, truck stops on the map, and weigh station status and truck parking availability reported by drivers.
Meet shows drivers nearby, and local meetups give you a way to ask other drivers about the routes and schedules you are considering. The app is free to download on iPhone and Android.
Have a question about the app or your profile? Contact the FreightPro team.
Frequently asked questions
1. What does home weekly mean at a trucking company?
It means you are scheduled to return home about once a week, but the hours differ by fleet. Roehl lists home weekly for regional and some dedicated fleets but 11 to 14 days out for national fleets, and Nussbaum says OTR drivers miss two to three weekends a year. Ask for the written schedule for your fleet.
2. Can I drive for a good trucking company with a CDL-B?
Yes, but most carriers on this list post Class A roles. J.B. Hunt has a local posting near Grand Prairie, Texas, that accepts Class A, B, C, or operator licenses, listed at a $49,400 average. Search local and regional roles by license class, then compare pay and benefits.
3. Do I have to pay back a sign-on bonus if I leave early?
It depends on the written agreement, so read it before you sign. Walmart’s posting advertises a $10,000 sign-on bonus but gives no repayment terms, and Schneider’s pay page lists sign-on bonuses without terms. Ask the recruiter whether it is paid in installments and what happens if you leave in the first year.
4. Which are the best trucking companies for experienced drivers who want more home time?
It depends on the home-time pattern you need. Of the carriers in this guide, Old Dominion reports about 95% of drivers home daily, J.B. Hunt says more than 90% are home daily or weekly, and Roehl lists home weekly regional fleets. Confirm the schedule for your exact terminal or fleet before you apply.
5. What is the difference between per-mile and hourly pay for truck drivers?
Per-mile pay rewards the miles you drive, while hourly pay covers the time you are on duty. Walmart’s Spring Valley posting lists a mileage rate of $0.55 to $0.69 per mile, and Schneider’s pay page says pay combines mileage or hourly driving pay with hourly on-duty pay. Ask which pay types apply to your job.
6. What are the best OTR trucking companies for experienced drivers?
Among the OTR carriers in this guide, one Nussbaum posting lists weekly home time and a $1,550 to $1,600 weekly guarantee, Maverick lists $.64 to $.67 per mile for experienced flatbed drivers, and one Prime posting lists $1,550 to $1,850 weekly. Compare how each carrier schedules you home, since that differs more than pay.
7. Which trucking company is the right fit for you?
The right trucking company is the one whose posted pay, home time, and benefits match the thing you protect first. Build a shortlist of two or three, confirm the numbers with each recruiter in writing, and compare them side by side before you accept.
