Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Lawrence, Kansas (September 2026)
There are 591 owner-operator carriers currently posting jobs in Lawrence, Kansas. The ranking below reflects active jobs as of September 2026, not historical pay surveys. 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.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, 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. Lanefinder's application data flags WINNERS TRANSPORTATION LLC as a responsive employer.
#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 Lawrence, Kansas median.
Also in the top 10: #4 WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $8,583/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 Lawrence, Kansas
Of active CDL postings in Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, Kansas postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 73% and riders-allowed at 70%.
Lawrence, Kansas vs Kansas: the numbers that diverge
Lawrence, 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 Lawrence, Kansas
- CDL driver salary in Lawrence, Kansas
- Best owner-operator companies in Kansas
The methodology behind the rankings
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated September 2026.