Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Arkansas (September 2026)
In Arkansas as of September 2026, 768 carriers are actively hiring owner-operators. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $8,500 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC follows at $2,657/week gross. Arkansas freight runs on I-40 east-west and I-55 / I-30 corridors, with massive retail distribution demand driven by Walmart's Bentonville headquarters and heavy agricultural shipments of rice, poultry, and soybeans.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Arkansas this month
The top of the list is RAY'S TRANSPORT INC at $8,500/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1RAY'S TRANSPORT INC — $8,500/wk
RAY'S TRANSPORT INC is number-one in Arkansas this month on the composite ranking. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 95th percentile across Arkansas. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC ranks in the 92nd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Arkansas.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC ranks in the 96th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags LOAD MONSTER INC as a responsive employer.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,583/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 TRI-COAST CARRIERS LLC at $8,500/wk, #7 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #8 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk, #9 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Arkansas
The route mix in Arkansas this month tilts OTR: 12% regional, 87% OTR, 0% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Arkansas postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 91%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 71% and riders-allowed at 67%.
Driving CDL in Arkansas
Arkansas freight runs on I-40 east-west and the I-30 / I-55 corridors, with Walmart's Bentonville headquarters anchoring the largest distribution-and-retail logistics flow in the state. Poultry and soybean reefer/dry-van freight is a steady segment from the Ozark region. Cost of living is among the lowest in the country, which makes the comp math work well for drivers based here. Arkansas has a low graduated state income tax. I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock is one of the busier mid-South freight lanes.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Arkansas
- CDL driver salary in Arkansas
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated September 2026.