Updated November 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in California (November 2026)
Through November 2026, 535 carriers in California contract owner-operators across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. MONDO MOTION LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $9,250. MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC follows at $3,025/week gross. California freight is dominated by the Port of LA / Long Beach complex, Central Valley agriculture, and the Inland Empire warehouse cluster along I-10 and I-15.
What changed in November 2026
MONDO MOTION LLC at #1, MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC at #2, and ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC at #3 are new to the top 50 in California. Biggest climb: WLC GROUP INC (#30 → #17). Biggest fall: J & J Oil LLC (#18 → #28). EXPRESS FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC (was #1) and KILO METER LOGISTIC INC (was #7) left the top 50. Average weekly pay moved most at EXPRESS CR INC (up 18.2% from $2,750 to $3,250). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 5 left, and 30 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDO MOTION LLC | Not ranked | #1 | New |
| MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC | Not ranked | #2 | New |
| ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC | Not ranked | #3 | New |
| WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC | Not ranked | #4 | New |
| BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS | #2 | #6 | Down 4 places |
| HERMES NVC CORP | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Ali Star Inc | #3 | #8 | Down 5 places |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #4 | #9 | Down 5 places |
| COOL MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #9 | #11 | Down 2 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #8 | #12 | Down 4 places |
| TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC | #10 | #13 | Down 3 places |
| ITF Group | #12 | #14 | Down 2 places |
| FIVE STAR TRUCKING INC | #14 | #15 | Down 1 place |
| LUXOR DRIVE INC | #11 | #16 | Down 5 places |
| WLC GROUP INC | #30 | #17 | Up 13 placesweekly pay up 4.2% ($3,000 → $3,125) |
| CO Lines Inc | #17 | #18 | Down 1 place |
| SUNGOR TRANSPORTATION INC | #13 | #19 | Down 6 places |
| COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION LLC | #22 | #20 | Up 2 places |
| BIG JOHN EXPEDITED INC | #19 | #22 | Down 3 places |
| J & H TRUCKING INC | #25 | #23 | Up 2 places |
| LEGACY CARGO LLC | #20 | #24 | Down 4 places |
| MEGA TRUCKS INC | #24 | #25 | Down 1 place |
| BLACK EAGLE EXPRESS LLC | #23 | #27 | Down 4 places |
| J & J Oil LLC | #18 | #28 | Down 10 places |
| EXPRESS CR INC | #31 | #29 | Up 2 placesweekly pay up 18.2% ($2,750 → $3,250) |
| NV Transport Inc. | #27 | #30 | Down 3 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #28 | #31 | Down 3 places |
| AS TRANSPORTATION INC | Not ranked | #32 | New |
| OTRL Recruiting | Not ranked | #33 | New |
| A & H INC | #35 | #34 | Up 1 place |
| KMH Logistics LLC | #32 | #35 | Down 3 places |
| D & H CATTLE COMPANY LLC | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| VITAL TRANSPORTATION CORP | #36 | #37 | Down 1 place |
| LINESTAR EXPRESS LLC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| MIDNIGHT EXPRESS LLC | #37 | #39 | Down 2 places |
| MILESTONE TRUCKING LLC | #41 | #40 | Up 1 place |
| LANDSHARK LOGISTICS GROUP LLC | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| NATIONWIDE TRANS INC | #43 | #42 | Up 1 place |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| EXPRESS FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC | #1 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| KILO METER LOGISTIC INC | #7 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| A&M CARRIERS INC | #15 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| TIM RYAN TRUCKING LLC | #16 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #29 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| LEADER FREIGHT SYSTEMS | #38 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SAFETY WAY INC | #39 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
California's top owner-operator carriers right now
The top of the list is MONDO MOTION LLC at $9,250/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1MONDO MOTION LLC — $9,250/wk
MONDO MOTION LLC is number-one in California this month on the composite ranking. MONDO MOTION LLC pays above the 91st percentile on gross weekly revenue for the California market. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 98th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in California.
#2MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC — $3,025/wk
MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC is new to the California top 50 this month — first appearance in this ranking. MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC ranks in the 96th percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#3ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC — $6,500/wk
ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC is new to the California top 50 this month — first appearance in this ranking. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 87th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Lanefinder's application data flags ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC as a responsive employer.
Also in the top 10: #4 WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC at $2,657/wk, #5 IKKO LOGISTICS LLC at $7,500/wk, #6 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #7 HERMES NVC CORP at $4,437/wk, #8 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #9 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #10 COOL MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT at $8,000/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across California
10% of California's active CDL postings are regional and 87% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of California postings; dedicated routes at 31%; take-truck-home at 88%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 71% and riders-allowed at 68%.
Driving CDL in California
California is one of the toughest states to drive CDL in the country, and one of the most lucrative for the right setup. CARB emissions rules are the strictest in the US, so engine year and compliance matter for fleet work — if you're owner-op, check current CARB rules before buying a truck. Drayage out of LA / Long Beach and warehouse-rotation work in the Inland Empire pay above the national average, but cost of living is brutal. The mountain passes (Grapevine, Donner, plus high winds on Cajon) add real winter complexity that most other Southwest lanes don't. Drivers with serious mountain experience earn it back.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in California
- CDL driver salary in California
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Rankings combine four signals: compensation (30%) including pay percentile, sign-on bonuses, guaranteed pay, and settlement frequency; FMCSA safety (25%); benefits (25%) scored differently for W2 vs owner-operator carriers; and operational performance (20%) measuring employer responsiveness and fleet scale. Recomputed monthly from real active job postings. Updated November 2026.