Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Montana (May 2026)
Lanefinder is tracking 499 owner-operator carriers in Montana (May 2026). YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $7,125 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Zmile Inc follows at $3,233/week gross. Montana freight is defined by long haul on the Northern Tier I-90 / I-94 corridors, with agricultural shipments of wheat and cattle, coal export volumes from the Powder River Basin, and oil-field service routes in the Bakken region.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Montana's top owner-operator carriers right now
The top of the list is YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC at $7,125/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $7,125/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tops the Montana ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC's gross weekly revenue ranks in the 85th percentile across Montana. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2Zmile Inc — $3,233/wk
Zmile Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Montana.
#3D-LINE TRUCKING INC — $5,750/wk
D-LINE TRUCKING INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Montana median.
Also in the top 10: #4 AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC at $2,300/wk, #5 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #6 Rickman Transport, LLC at $9,250/wk, #7 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk, #10 Red Diamond Freight, LLC at $7,020/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Montana
Of active CDL postings in Montana this month, 6% are regional and 92% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Montana postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 94%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 76% and riders-allowed at 74%.
Driving CDL in Montana
Montana freight runs the Northern Tier I-90 / I-94 corridors — long, lightly-trafficked, often beautiful, and operationally serious. Wheat and cattle freight dominate outbound; coal from the Powder River Basin generates significant rail-to-truck transfers. Oil-field service in the eastern Bakken corner of the state adds energy-sector loads. Winter is severe and long. Cost of living is moderate, with the Bozeman and Missoula corridors notably more expensive than the rest of the state. Montana has a moderate graduated state income tax. Distances are real: "long-haul" here means a different scale than the Northeast.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Montana
- CDL driver salary in Montana
- Best owner-operator companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Carriers are scored against carriers in their own market. The composite is 30% compensation (pay + bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement cadence), 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits (W2 vs owner-op scoring), and 20% operational performance (responsiveness + fleet scale). No paid placement — the weights are the same for every carrier in the index. Updated May 2026.