Best Trucking Companies in Tennessee
10 top-ranked carriers hiring in Tennessee. Compare pay, hiring status, and find the right fit for your driving career.
Tennessee Trucking Market Overview
Tennessee is a trucking industry powerhouse with an extraordinary concentration of carrier headquarters. FedEx (Memphis), Covenant Transport (Chattanooga), Averitt Express (Cookeville), Forward Air (Greeneville), and US Xpress (Chattanooga) all call Tennessee home. Memphis is the largest air freight hub in the world (FedEx SuperHub) and a major rail/truck intermodal gateway. Nashville's explosive growth has added distribution and construction freight demand.
Top 10 Companies in Tennessee
FedEx is headquartered in Memphis, TN, making Tennessee the epicenter of their freight operations with the widest variety of LTL positions.
Covenant Transport is based in Chattanooga, TN, and their home-state OTR, dedicated, and team driving positions get first-pick advantages.
Averitt is headquartered in Cookeville, TN, and their home-state drivers enjoy the best regional LTL and truckload routes.
Forward Air is based in Greeneville, TN, and their airport-to-airport expedited service centered on Memphis FedEx operations pays competitive rates.
US Xpress, based in Chattanooga, offers accessible OTR and dedicated positions with fuel-efficient Variant fleet trucks.
ODFL's Tennessee terminals serve the Memphis and Nashville distribution hubs with industry-leading LTL compensation.
Knight-Swift runs heavy I-40, I-65, and I-24 corridor freight through Tennessee with extensive position variety.
USA Truck, based in nearby Van Buren, AR, offers regional and dedicated lanes through Tennessee's freight corridors.
Schneider leverages Tennessee's central location for dedicated, intermodal, and bulk freight with strong training support.
SEFL's Tennessee terminals serve the Nashville and Chattanooga distribution hubs with reliable regional LTL routes.
How to read this page. The ranking is our own editorial assessment of how each carrier serves drivers in Tennessee, based on the lanes, terminals and freight described in each entry. The pay figure is not ours: heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Tennessee earn an annual mean of $60,440 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 Tennessee
What is the best trucking company to work for in Tennessee?
Based on our 2026 rankings, FedEx Freight ranks #1 in Tennessee. They earned the top spot because of what they run there: FedEx is headquartered in Memphis, TN, making Tennessee the epicenter of their freight operations with the widest variety of LTL positions. 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 Tennessee?
Heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Tennessee earn an annual mean of $60,440, 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 — Air Freight & Express (FedEx HQ), Automotive (Nissan, GM), Distribution & Logistics — shape which kinds of driving pay best.
Which trucking companies should I apply to in Tennessee?
Start with the carriers ranked on this page — FedEx Freight, Covenant Transport, Averitt Express and the rest of the list all run real freight in Tennessee, 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.