Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Billings, Montana (May 2026)
In Billings, Montana as of May 2026, 441 carriers are actively hiring owner-operators. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $7,000 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Zmile Inc follows at $3,233/week gross. Billings is Montana's largest city and primary freight hub on I-90 / I-94 in the Yellowstone River valley, with Bakken oil-field service loads, agricultural shipments of wheat and cattle, and regional distribution for eastern Montana.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Billings, Montana's top owner-operator carriers right now
The top of the list is YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC at $7,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $7,000/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC is number-one in Billings, Montana this month on the composite ranking. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2Zmile Inc — $3,233/wk
Zmile Inc's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Zmile Inc responds to driver applications more reliably than the Billings, Montana median.
#3TAZ TRUCKING INC — $10,999/wk
TAZ TRUCKING INC pays above the 92nd percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Billings, Montana market. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 83rd percentile.
For pure pay maximization, TAZ TRUCKING INC beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $10,999.
Also in the top 10: #4 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #5 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,300/wk, #6 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #7 Rickman Transport, LLC at $9,250/wk, #8 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #9 GNS TRUCKING INC at $9,000/wk, #10 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk.
What Billings, Montana drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Billings, Montana this month, 6% are regional and 92% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Billings, Montana postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 76% and riders-allowed at 73%.
How Billings, Montana compares to Montana
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Billings, Montana sits 9% above the Montana baseline.
Driving CDL in Montana
Montana freight runs the Northern Tier I-90 / I-94 corridors — long, lightly-trafficked, often beautiful, and operationally serious. Wheat and cattle freight dominate outbound; coal from the Powder River Basin generates significant rail-to-truck transfers. Oil-field service in the eastern Bakken corner of the state adds energy-sector loads. Winter is severe and long. Cost of living is moderate, with the Bozeman and Missoula corridors notably more expensive than the rest of the state. Montana has a moderate graduated state income tax. Distances are real: "long-haul" here means a different scale than the Northeast.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Billings, Montana
- CDL driver salary in Billings, Montana
- Best owner-operator companies in Montana
The methodology behind the rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated May 2026.