Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Salt Lake City, Utah (May 2026)
Salt Lake City, Utah has 455 active owner-operator carriers as of May 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. Zmile Inc leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $2,987. TAZ TRUCKING INC follows at $10,999/week gross. Salt Lake City sits at the I-15 / I-80 crossroads connecting Pacific Coast distribution to the Mountain West interior, with growing technology and data-center freight, copper and mineral mining loads, and outdoor-gear manufacturing.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The owner-operator carriers leading Salt Lake City, Utah this month
The top of the list is Zmile Inc at $2,987/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Zmile Inc — $2,987/wk
Zmile Inc tops the Salt Lake City, Utah ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Zmile Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Salt Lake City, Utah.
#2TAZ TRUCKING INC — $10,999/wk
TAZ TRUCKING INC sits in the 97th percentile for gross weekly revenue among Salt Lake City, Utah carriers. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 83rd percentile.
Despite ranking below #1, TAZ TRUCKING INC outpays the leader on weekly average — $10,999/week.
#3D-LINE TRUCKING INC — $5,750/wk
D-LINE TRUCKING INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Salt Lake City, Utah 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 ADAMS TRUCKING INC at $4,750/wk, #9 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #10 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Salt Lake City, Utah
6% of Salt Lake City, Utah's active CDL postings are regional and 92% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (2%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 1% of Salt Lake City, Utah postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 93%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 76% and riders-allowed at 72%.
Salt Lake City, Utah vs Utah: the numbers that diverge
Among the figures above, average weekly pay is where Salt Lake City, Utah differs most from Utah — 4% above statewide.
Driving CDL in Utah
Utah freight centers on Salt Lake City's I-15 / I-80 crossroads, which connects Pacific Coast distribution to the Mountain West interior. Growing technology (Silicon Slopes), outdoor gear manufacturing, and traditional mining and energy freight all add to the lane mix. Mountain driving is operational reality, not exception — Parley's Canyon east of SLC and the Wasatch passes are winter variables. Cost of living is moderate. Utah has a moderate flat state income tax. The state has unusually strict CDL drug-testing and reporting; check requirements if relocating from elsewhere.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Salt Lake City, Utah
- CDL driver salary in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Best owner-operator companies in Utah
How we compile these rankings
Four weighted components. Compensation carries 30% and includes pay percentile, sign-on bonus tier, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement frequency. FMCSA safety carries 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions. Benefits carry 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator carriers. Operational performance carries 20%, measuring application responsiveness and fleet scale. Updated May 2026.