Best Trucking Companies in South Carolina
9 top-ranked carriers hiring in South Carolina. Compare pay, hiring status, and find the right fit for your driving career.
South Carolina Trucking Market Overview
South Carolina's trucking market is booming thanks to the Port of Charleston, which has invested heavily in infrastructure and is now one of the deepest harbors on the East Coast. BMW's Spartanburg plant is the largest BMW factory in the world, and Boeing, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz Vans all have major SC manufacturing facilities. The I-85 corridor from Greenville-Spartanburg to Charlotte and I-95 through the Lowcountry create strong freight lanes.
Top 9 Companies in South Carolina
SEFL is headquartered in Lexington, SC, and their home-state operations offer the best LTL coverage and company culture in the region.
ODFL's South Carolina terminals serve the Port of Charleston and inland distribution with premium LTL pay.
FedEx Freight's SC operations handle Port of Charleston freight and regional distribution with strong LTL positions.
Schneider runs intermodal and dedicated freight through the Port of Charleston corridor and BMW's Spartanburg plant.
Saia's expanding SC terminal network serves the state's growing distribution sector with competitive LTL rates.
Averitt provides Southeast LTL and truckload service throughout SC with a culture drivers consistently praise.
Knight-Swift covers SC's I-85 and I-95 corridors with OTR and regional positions for drivers at all experience levels.
Estes' SC terminals offer competitive LTL pay with ESOP ownership benefits and dock-to-driver career development.
Ryder manages dedicated fleet contracts for SC's BMW, Boeing, and Volvo manufacturing operations.
How to read this page. The ranking is our own editorial assessment of how each carrier serves drivers in South Carolina, based on the lanes, terminals and freight described in each entry. The pay figure is not ours: heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in South Carolina earn an annual mean of $55,680 per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025). That covers employed company drivers statewide — not owner-operators, whom the survey excludes — and individual carriers pay above and below it. We publish no per-carrier salary because we have no source for one, and we do not track live vacancy counts: for what is open today, check the carrier's own careers page.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Trucking in South Carolina
What is the best trucking company to work for in South Carolina?
Based on our 2026 rankings, Southeastern Freight Lines ranks #1 in South Carolina. They earned the top spot because of what they run there: SEFL is headquartered in Lexington, SC, and their home-state operations offer the best LTL coverage and company culture in the region. We do not publish a pay figure per carrier — we have no source for one — so check the carrier's own posting for what the seat pays. The best choice for you depends on your experience level, preferred driving type, and home time needs.
How much do truck drivers make in South Carolina?
Heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in South Carolina earn an annual mean of $55,680, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025). That is the figure for employed company drivers across the whole state; owner-operators are not in it, because the survey covers employer payrolls only. Individual carriers pay above and below it, and specialised work — tanker, HazMat, oversize — pays more. The state's top industries — Port & Drayage (Charleston), Automotive Manufacturing (BMW, Volvo), Aerospace (Boeing) — shape which kinds of driving pay best.
Which trucking companies should I apply to in South Carolina?
Start with the carriers ranked on this page — Southeastern Freight Lines, Old Dominion Freight Line, FedEx Freight and the rest of the list all run real freight in South Carolina, and each entry says what it is best suited to. We do not track live vacancy counts for other carriers, so check the company's own careers page for what is open today. If you would rather one conversation than nine applications, send us your details and we will work the list with you.