Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Kansas (May 2026)
Through May 2026, 667 carriers in Kansas contract owner-operators across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC follows at $2,600/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 May 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 YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC at $5,491/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $5,491/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tops the Kansas ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Kansas median.
#2AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,600/wk
Lanefinder's application data flags AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer. Weekly pay is guaranteed regardless of miles run.
AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC is the only Kansas top-10 carrier that guarantees weekly pay regardless of miles run.
#3D-LINE TRUCKING INC — $5,750/wk
Lanefinder's application data flags D-LINE TRUCKING INC as a responsive employer.
Also in the top 10: #4 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #5 Zmile Inc at $2,175/wk, #6 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #7 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #8 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,020/wk, #9 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk, #10 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk.
What Kansas drivers actually run
9% of Kansas's active CDL postings are regional and 89% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (2%).
Across Kansas CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 93% take-truck-home, 74% pet-friendly, 71% 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 May 2026.