Best Trucking Companies in Virginia
9 top-ranked carriers hiring in Virginia. Compare pay, hiring status, and find the right fit for your driving career.
Virginia Trucking Market Overview
Virginia is a major trucking state anchored by Estes Express (Richmond) and close to Old Dominion's North Carolina headquarters. The I-81 corridor through the Shenandoah Valley is one of the busiest freight arteries on the East Coast. The Port of Virginia (Norfolk/Hampton Roads) is the deepest on the East Coast and drives container drayage. Northern Virginia's concentration of federal agencies, defense contractors, and data centers (Amazon AWS) generates specialized logistics demand.
Top 9 Companies in Virginia
Estes is headquartered in Richmond, VA, and their home-state operations offer the best LTL positions with ESOP ownership benefits.
ODFL, headquartered in nearby Thomasville, NC, has massive Virginia operations with industry-leading LTL compensation.
FedEx Freight's Virginia terminals serve the I-81 corridor and Hampton Roads port area with strong LTL positions.
XPO's Virginia terminals provide home-daily LTL positions along the I-95 and I-81 freight corridors.
Penske operates dedicated fleets for Virginia's defense contractors and federal agencies in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area.
Schneider runs intermodal and dedicated freight through Virginia's Port of Norfolk and I-81 distribution corridor.
NFI handles port drayage from Norfolk/Hampton Roads and dedicated contract carriage in the I-64 corridor.
Saia's Virginia terminals serve the growing Mid-Atlantic distribution market with competitive LTL rates.
Amazon's Northern Virginia fulfillment centers and data center logistics create steady middle-mile CDL positions.
How to read this page. The ranking is our own editorial assessment of how each carrier serves drivers in Virginia, based on the lanes, terminals and freight described in each entry. The pay figure is not ours: heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Virginia earn an annual mean of $57,770 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 Virginia
What is the best trucking company to work for in Virginia?
Based on our 2026 rankings, Estes Express Lines ranks #1 in Virginia. They earned the top spot because of what they run there: Estes is headquartered in Richmond, VA, and their home-state operations offer the best LTL positions with ESOP ownership benefits. 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 Virginia?
Heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Virginia earn an annual mean of $57,770, 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 (Norfolk), Federal & Defense Logistics, Data Center Logistics (NoVA) — shape which kinds of driving pay best.
Which trucking companies should I apply to in Virginia?
Start with the carriers ranked on this page — Estes Express Lines, Old Dominion Freight Line, FedEx Freight and the rest of the list all run real freight in Virginia, 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.