Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Kansas City, Kansas (September 2026)
596 owner-operator carriers are hiring in Kansas City, Kansas this September 2026. 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. The Kansas side of the Kansas City metro sits at the I-35 / I-70 junction, with intermodal terminals, agricultural commodity flows, and a growing distribution corridor stretching along I-435 and K-10.
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 Kansas City, Kansas 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 tops the Kansas City, Kansas ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 94th percentile across Kansas City, Kansas. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 87th percentile. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 92nd percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Kansas City, Kansas.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 96th percentile. LOAD MONSTER INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Kansas City, Kansas median.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,750/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #7 C & G TRANSPORTATION INC at $7,500/wk, #8 AIA TRUCKING INC at $3,450/wk, #9 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk, #10 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Kansas City, Kansas
Of active CDL postings in Kansas City, Kansas this month, 8% are regional and 92% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 0%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Kansas City, Kansas postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 74% and riders-allowed at 70%.
How Kansas City, Kansas compares to Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas's biggest divergence from Kansas is on average weekly pay, 6% above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Kansas
Kansas freight moves on the I-70 east-west transcontinental corridor and I-35 north-south, with the Kansas City metro (split with MO) as the regional hub. Wheat, beef, and grain dominate outbound loads, especially in summer harvest season. Wichita aerospace and manufacturing adds steady industrial freight. Kansas has a moderate graduated state income tax; cost of living runs near the bottom of the US distribution. Western Kansas is genuinely remote — long stretches between fuel stops on I-70 west of Salina — and tornado season (April-June) shapes route planning each spring.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Kansas City, Kansas
- CDL driver salary in Kansas City, Kansas
- Best owner-operator companies in Kansas
Where this data comes from
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated September 2026.