I ranked the best dry van carriers in Columbus, OH based on verified broker and shipper reviews from CarrierSource. Columbus isn't just the state capital — it's one of the most important freight hubs in the Midwest, sitting where I-70 and I-71 cross and putting a truck within a day's drive of a huge portion of the U.S. population. In an industry where reputation is everything, the carriers on this list have earned theirs load by load.
To make this list, I looked at star ratings, review volume, geographic fit, and the quality of reviewer feedback — specifically, what brokers and shippers actually said about communication, tracking, and on-time performance. I pulled data from thousands of reviews across the Columbus market and applied minimum thresholds on review count to make sure every recommendation here is backed by real, consistent experience rather than a handful of good days.
If one of these carriers is a fit for your lane, their CarrierSource profile gives you their full review history and contact info. If you'd prefer to browse the full list and filter by your own criteria, you can do that directly on CarrierSource.
1. A Star Transportation Company: Columbus's Highest-Rated Dry Van Fleet
"The pickup and delivery were right on time, and I appreciated how reliable the service was. Our freight arrived exactly when promised, and the driver was professional and efficient. Tracking was consistent and communication as well. Would like to work with this company again." — Verified Broker, IN
| ⭐ Star Rating |
5.00/5 (10 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
31 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
3162107 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: A Star Transportation Company sits at a perfect 5.00 across 10 reviews, and the consistency of the feedback is what makes that number meaningful. Reviewers mention proactive tracking, dispatch that provides driver info ahead of pickup, and drivers who hit appointments and stay reachable throughout the haul. One broker notes that driver Allen worked to deliver a load a full day early to keep an urgent customer happy — that kind of initiative shows up repeatedly in the review history here. A 31-truck fleet gives them real capacity without the service gaps that sometimes come with a larger, more anonymous operation.
Best for: Shippers who need dependable dry van coverage on Ohio-region lanes and want a carrier where the dispatcher and driver are genuinely reachable — not just technically available. Strong fit for time-sensitive loads where proactive ETAs matter.
2. Sunway Transport LLC: Consistent and Communicative Out of Gahanna
"This team has only run a handful of loads for us and they have not missed an appointment. They always get their drivers on tracking the night prior or morning of pickup and the drivers stay on tracking. Dispatch and driver always answered the phone and gave us great updates." — Verified Broker, OH
| ⭐ Star Rating |
5.00/5 (10 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
10 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Gahanna, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
3436467 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Sunway Transport runs a lean 10-truck operation out of Gahanna — a Columbus suburb — and maintains a flawless 5.00 rating across 10 reviews. What's striking about their feedback is how often reviewers call out the tracking setup: drivers are placed on electronic tracking the night before pickup or first thing in the morning, and they stay on it through delivery. One broker specifically praised their owner-operator Hashi as professional and easy to work with from first contact to POD submission. The dispatch team draws consistent praise for responsiveness by email as well as phone, which matters on loads where the broker needs to reach someone fast.
Best for: Brokers and shippers who prioritize a smooth, low-friction experience — quick confirmations, clean tracking, and drivers who show up when they say they will. Good option for loads where the receiver has tight appointment windows.
3. Hemphill & Son: Decades of Dry Van Reliability in Columbus
"This team has been running with us for years now and they do a great job with every load that they are booked on. The drivers make sure to stay on tracking and provide good updates when they are requested. Always a great experience!" — Verified Broker, OH
| ⭐ Star Rating |
5.00/5 (7 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
68 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
293587 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Hemphill and Son is a 68-truck carrier with a satisfactory FMCSA safety rating and a perfect 5.00 average, and they've earned reviews from brokers in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, and South Carolina — a geographic spread that signals real lane coverage beyond just local Columbus freight. Their dispatch team draws consistent individual praise: reviewers call out Sara and Kayla by name for responsiveness, accuracy, and being proactive about capacity updates. One broker who ran a project out of Florida called them their go-to. When a broker calls out an individual dispatcher by name in a review, that's a sign the relationship is working the way it should.
Best for: Shippers and brokers who want a mid-size Columbus carrier with the depth to handle repeat volume across multiple lanes. Particularly useful for project freight where you need a carrier you can rely on over multiple loads.
4. SOS Trucking Services LLC: Near-Perfect Ratings on a Busy Columbus Fleet
"SOS Trucking ran a dry van shipment for us out of Ohio going to North Dakota. Carrier was in communication throughout the trip and accepted electronic tracking. Reliable driver. Reliable equipment. Reliable carrier!" — Verified Broker, FL
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.98/5 (10 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
39 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
2576917 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: SOS Trucking Services sits at 4.98 across 10 reviews, and the feedback reads like a template for what good carrier execution looks like: ETAs provided and honored, tracking accepted without pushback, dispatch that communicates by email and phone, and drivers who are professional at both pickup and delivery. A broker from Indiana notes that the team is "near perfect" and that dispatch provides driver info the night before pickup as standard practice. With 39 trucks based in Columbus, they have enough capacity to handle consistent volume without becoming anonymous.
Best for: Brokers who need a Columbus-based dry van carrier for lanes ranging from local Ohio freight out to longer hauls like the Midwest or even the Northern Plains. Their combination of fleet size and service quality makes them a strong repeat-volume option.
"I gave them a tight schedule and they delivered right on time. Tracking was accurate and paperwork came in right after drop." — Verified Broker, IN
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.97/5 (10 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
99 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Grove City, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
2258095 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Excel Trucking is based in Grove City — about 11 miles southwest of Columbus — and has built a 99-truck fleet since 2011 with a satisfactory safety rating and a 4.97 average across 10 reviews. Their bio says it directly: customer satisfaction and punctual shipments are the mission, and the reviews back that up. Brokers from Indiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, and Oregon have all praised them for being easy to coordinate with, hitting appointment times on both ends, and handling both short and long-mile runs without issues.
Best for: Shippers who need real capacity — nearly 100 trucks means they can handle volume that would strain a smaller operation. Solid choice for recurring Columbus-area freight with reliable expectations around equipment condition and on-time performance.
"Ohio Transit has been a great partner for us on dry van loads. The driver is always on time for pickup and delivery. Carrier communicates well. Tracking is always utilized. They are a reliable carrier, which is why we continue to work with them." — Verified Broker, FL
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.92/5 (12 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
79 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
2409347 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Ohio Transit Company (OTC) has 12 reviews at 4.92, and the feedback reflects a carrier that handles complexity well. Multiple reviewers mention their back-office track and trace team, which provides after-hours updates and means you're not chasing down a solo dispatcher at 9pm. They also handle lumper fees at the door when needed, which reduces friction on overnight deliveries. One broker runs them regularly on PA-OH lanes and calls them a go-to for that corridor. A 79-truck fleet across dry van, reefer, and flatbed means they have options when your freight needs flexibility.
Best for: Brokers and shippers who move freight on Ohio-Pennsylvania lanes or who need a carrier with real back-office support for loads that require after-hours communication. Also a good fit for overnight or early-morning deliveries where lumper coordination is common.
7. Tesla Logistics Inc: Precision Execution on Northeast-Bound Dry Van Loads
"This team has run more than a few loads for us and they have all been flawless. Their drivers stay on tracking and answer their phones when track and trace calls them. Dispatch and drivers are friendly and they will get your load delivered on time." — Verified Broker, OH
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.89/5 (6 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
43 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
2858678 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Tesla Logistics runs 43 trucks out of Columbus and has a 4.89 average across 6 reviews. Their feedback is clean and consistent: equipment arrives in good condition, ETAs are accurate, and drivers answer their phones for track and trace calls — a detail that seems obvious until you've experienced the alternative. One broker specifically recommends them for Northeast loads and notes that the dispatch team keeps customers updated on arrivals and departures on both ends of the haul. For a Columbus carrier, Northeast coverage is a competitive advantage, and Tesla appears to have developed real competency on those lanes.
Best for: Shippers and brokers moving freight from Columbus toward the Northeast — Ohio to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New England. A reliable option with enough trucks to handle volume without sacrificing the responsiveness of a smaller fleet.
8. Torey Transport LLC: High-Touch Dispatch in a Nimble Columbus Operation
"Torey Transport is great. They ran a dry van load with us. Ali and Issac responded to our check calls. Communication was there every step of the trip. Driver accepted electronic tracking and was on time." — Verified Broker, FL
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.81/5 (11 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
9 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
3117283 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Torey Transport runs 9 trucks out of Columbus and has earned 11 reviews at 4.81 — a strong review-to-fleet ratio that suggests their customers keep coming back and keep leaving feedback. The recurring name in their reviews is Ali, who draws specific praise from multiple brokers for providing real-time updates and being proactive with information throughout the haul. One Ohio broker notes they've never had an issue with the team across multiple loads. A reviewer from Illinois points out that they handle both dry van and power-only loads in Indiana and Ohio with equal competency — useful to know if you're working lanes that sometimes need one and sometimes need the other.
Best for: Brokers who prefer working with a smaller, owner-focused carrier where dispatch knows their drivers and the communication is personal rather than routed through a call center. Good fit for Indiana-Ohio lanes specifically.
"We booked GS Logistics on a dry van load. They were responsive to our requests for status updates. No issues making appointment times. They provided a 53' swing door trailer as requested and their equipment was reliable. Excellent job by a dependable carrier." — Verified Broker, FL
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.80/5 (11 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
1 truck |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Columbus, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
2487529 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: GS Logistics has 11 reviews at 4.80 — a solid volume for a single-unit operation focused on Ohio-region freight. The reviews are mostly strong on the execution side: appointment times honored, tracking accepted, equipment delivered as spec'd. One longtime broker relationship notes a 92% on-time average over two years of working together, which is a meaningful data point. A reviewer from Ohio does note that phone communication can be inconsistent and that email tends to work better for reaching dispatch — worth knowing before your first load. If you connect via the right channel, they deliver.
Best for: Shippers and brokers comfortable working primarily by email who need a cost-effective Columbus-area option for expedited or spot dry van loads. Best suited for less complex loads where the communication preferences are understood up front.
"20 years, 300 loads! Not a disappointment. They run a lot of dedicated-type lanes. Locations always have great things to say about their service. Dispatch is on point with communication and drivers are so easy to work with. We love doing business with them." — Verified Broker, OR
| ⭐ Star Rating |
4.74/5 (11 reviews) |
| 🚛 Fleet Size |
81 trucks |
| 📍 Headquarters |
Marysville, OH |
| 📋 DOT Number |
871713 |
| 🔗 Profile |
View on CarrierSource |
What stands out: Ryan Logistics is headquartered in Marysville — about 27 miles northwest of Columbus — and has been running 53-foot dry van freight since the early 2000s. The quote above from a broker who's run 300 loads with them says more than any summary could. They specialize in regional and short-haul freight, and their model is built around dedicated-lane relationships where the carrier knows the pickup and delivery locations intimately. Reviewers consistently praise Amy on the dispatch team for staying on top of communication and providing tracking from load inception to delivery. Their satisfactory FMCSA rating rounds out a picture of a carrier you can build a long-term book of business with.
Best for: Shippers and brokers who want a long-term carrier relationship, not just a one-time booking. Particularly well-suited for dedicated or semi-dedicated regional lanes where consistency and familiarity with the stops matter as much as the rate.
Additional Top-Rated Carriers with Terminals in Columbus
These carriers aren't headquartered in Columbus, but they operate terminal locations within 50 miles of the city, giving them a real operational presence for pickups and deliveries in the area. They meet the same review and quality thresholds as the ranked carriers above.
| Carrier |
⭐ Rating (out of 5) |
🚛 Fleet Size |
Overview |
| American Marine Express Inc |
4.96 (6 reviews) |
225 |
Cleveland-based carrier offering intermodal drayage and general truckload services with company drivers and owner operators positioned at major intermodal hubs. |
| ABF Freight System Inc |
4.88 (10 reviews) |
4604 |
One of the nation's largest LTL carriers with over a century of experience and 240 service centers across North America, including coverage into the Columbus market. |
| ITF Group LLC |
4.86 (30 reviews) |
439 |
St. Louis-based carrier with a strong review track record across 30 verified ratings, operating a modern fleet focused on reliable full-truckload service through the Midwest corridor. |
| Rush Expediting Inc |
4.86 (5 reviews) |
135 |
Dayton-based WBENC-certified transportation company founded in 1981, with service centers in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton covering same-day and OTR freight across 48 states. |
| GFS Group LLC |
4.81 (9 reviews) |
233 |
Maryland Heights, MO-based carrier with a 233-truck fleet and a strong focus on timely, secure delivery across a wide range of full-truckload freight needs. |
| DHT Logistics |
4.79 (7 reviews) |
148 |
Michigan-based carrier founded in 1983 with a terminal in Bellefontaine, Ohio, running dry van and multi-modal freight across 48 states with a 24-hour repair facility on site. |
| Gurman Trucking Inc |
4.75 (18 reviews) |
318 |
Schaumburg, IL-based carrier operating since 2004 with one of the larger verified review counts in this section, focused on on-time, safe delivery across full-truckload lanes. |
| Rands Trucking Inc |
4.76 (6 reviews) |
190 |
Wisconsin-based carrier with 40-plus years of experience and a specialty in furniture and window freight, with dry van capabilities across national lanes. |
| LLI |
4.76 (6 reviews) |
212 |
Tennessee-based carrier with over five decades of industry experience, serving general freight backhaul and full-truckload lanes with a 212-truck fleet. |
| Venture Transport LLC |
4.55 (6 reviews) |
1151 |
Indianapolis-based carrier with over 1,000 power units and a focus on complete logistics solutions, offering significant capacity for shippers with high-volume Columbus-area needs. |
How I Picked These Carriers
I pulled carrier data directly from the CarrierSource database, filtering for dry van carriers with at least five verified reviews whose primary operating location is within 50 miles of Columbus. Five reviews is the minimum I'll consider for a trustworthy recommendation — anything below that doesn't give you enough signal to predict how a carrier will perform on your freight.
From there, I ranked by star rating first, then review count as a tiebreaker. A 5.00 rating across 10 reviews carries more weight than a 5.00 across 5, because it's harder to maintain perfection over a larger sample. I also read every review in the dataset — not just the scores. A carrier with a 4.8 average and 11 detailed, specific reviews from repeat brokers is a more compelling pick than one with a 4.9 and a handful of generic one-liners.
I paid close attention to what reviewers flagged as specific strengths: electronic tracking compliance, named dispatch contacts who are reachable and responsive, drivers who hit appointment windows on both ends, and clean equipment. Those details don't show up in aggregate scores but they tell you whether a carrier will perform on your load or on someone else's average. Every carrier on this list cleared both the data threshold and the qualitative read.
FAQ
What questions should I ask a dry van carrier before booking a load out of Columbus?
Before booking, ask about the trailer's age and last inspection date, whether the driver has experience on your specific lane (e.g., Columbus to the Northeast or Southeast), how dispatch handles after-hours check calls, and whether the carrier uses electronic tracking or requires manual updates. For temperature-sensitive dry goods, ask about vent settings and whether the trailer has been cleaned recently. Getting a rate confirmation with all accessorial charges spelled out up front saves a lot of friction on the back end.
How does Columbus's position in the Midwest affect dry van capacity and rates?
Columbus sits at the intersection of I-70 and I-71, two of the most heavily trafficked freight corridors in the country, which gives it an unusually deep carrier pool for a city its size. That competition generally keeps rates competitive on the outbound side. The city's retail and manufacturing base drives strong inbound freight from the coasts and Southeast, so carriers often have repositioning pressure and may be willing to negotiate on lanes that bring them back into their preferred geography. Capacity tends to tighten in Q4 around holiday retail surges and loosens somewhat in January and February.
What is the difference between a regional dry van carrier and a long-haul carrier when shipping out of Columbus?
Regional carriers typically run dedicated lanes within a 500-mile radius — think Ohio to the Midwest, into the Southeast, or up into the Great Lakes region. They tend to offer faster transit times, more reliable appointment windows, and stronger relationships with specific shippers and receivers. Long-haul carriers cover coast-to-coast or multiday runs, which suits freight moving to California, the Pacific Northwest, or the Gulf Coast. For time-sensitive shipments or produce-adjacent dry goods, a regional carrier with deep Columbus-area roots will generally outperform a national fleet on service consistency, even if the rate is slightly higher.
What load types are best suited for dry van transport out of Columbus?
Dry van is the workhorse of truckload freight and handles the widest variety of cargo. From Columbus, dry van carriers regularly move consumer packaged goods, automotive parts and components (reflecting Ohio's manufacturing base), retail merchandise, electronics, bagged or boxed food products, paper goods, and general industrial freight. Cargo that needs to stay clean and dry but doesn't require temperature control is the sweet spot. If freight needs refrigeration or freezing, reefer is the better call. For oversized equipment or steel, flatbed. But if it palletizes and fits in a 53-foot trailer, dry van is almost always the right choice.
How do I vet a dry van carrier I haven't worked with before?
Start with FMCSA's Safety Measurement System to check the carrier's inspection history, out-of-service rates, and crash data. Cross-reference with a platform like CarrierSource to see verified broker and shipper reviews — look at both the volume of reviews and the consistency of comments around communication, tracking, and on-time performance. Ask the carrier for references on similar lanes. If you're moving high-value freight, confirm their cargo insurance limits and request a certificate. First loads with a new carrier are best booked with a reasonable schedule buffer until you've established a baseline.
Find the Right Carrier for Your Lane
Every carrier on this list has earned their spot through consistent performance across real loads — not sales decks or self-reported data. If one of them looks like a fit for your Columbus dry van freight, their full review history, contact info, and lane history are all on CarrierSource. And if you need to cast a wider net or filter by specific criteria — fleet size, rating threshold, geographic coverage — you can run your own search and see every qualified carrier in the market.