Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Kansas (September 2026)
Through September 2026, 668 carriers in Kansas contract owner-operators across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. 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. Kansas freight moves on the I-70 east-west transcontinental corridor and I-35 north-south, with agricultural commodities — wheat, beef, and grain — dominating loads and the Kansas City metro serving as a regional hub.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Kansas's top owner-operator carriers right now
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 ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC sits in the 95th percentile for gross weekly revenue among Kansas carriers. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. RAY'S TRANSPORT INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Kansas median.
#2WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC — $2,657/wk
WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC ranks in the 92nd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3LOAD MONSTER INC — $5,125/wk
LOAD MONSTER INC ranks in the 96th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,500/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 COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION LLC at $3,912/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $4,975/wk.
What Kansas drivers actually run
9% of Kansas's active CDL postings are regional and 90% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (1%).
Across Kansas CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 93% take-truck-home, 73% pet-friendly, 69% riders-allowed.
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
- CDL driver salary in Kansas
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
Where this data comes from
Compensation is the largest single weight at 30% — pay percentile, sign-on bonus, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement cadence. FMCSA safety contributes 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions with unsafe-driving and hours-of-service weighted 2× heavier. Benefits contribute 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator and 1099 carriers. Operational performance — application responsiveness and fleet scale — contributes 20%. Updated September 2026.