Updated November 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Santa Barbara, California (November 2026)
Through November 2026, 199 carriers in Santa Barbara, California contract owner-operators across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. MONDO MOTION LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $9,250. MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC follows at $3,025/week gross. California freight is dominated by the Port of LA / Long Beach complex, Central Valley agriculture, and the Inland Empire warehouse cluster along I-10 and I-15.
What changed in November 2026
MONDO MOTION LLC at #1, MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC at #2, and ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC at #3 are new to the top 50 in Santa Barbara, California. Biggest climb: WLC GROUP INC (#28 → #12). Biggest falls: Always Franklin LLC (#3 → #26) and J & J Oil LLC (#13 → #23). KILO METER LOGISTIC INC (was #9) left the top 50. Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 7 left, and 35 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDO MOTION LLC | Not ranked | #1 | New |
| MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC | Not ranked | #2 | New |
| ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC | Not ranked | #3 | New |
| IKKO LOGISTICS LLC | #1 | #4 | Down 3 places |
| Rickman Transport, LLC | #2 | #5 | Down 3 places |
| GNS TRUCKING INC | #5 | #6 | Down 1 place |
| Ali Star Inc | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS | #7 | #8 | Down 1 place |
| HERMES NVC CORP | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| ARCHER HOLDING GROUP | #8 | #10 | Down 2 places |
| ZAIETS TRANSPORTATION LLC | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| WLC GROUP INC | #28 | #12 | Up 16 placesweekly pay up 4.2% ($3,000 → $3,125) |
| SUPERTRANSPORT LLC | #14 | #13 | Up 1 place |
| BIG JOHN EXPEDITED INC | #11 | #14 | Down 3 places |
| ED CARGO INC | #10 | #15 | Down 5 places |
| FOX BROS TRUCKING LLC | #12 | #16 | Down 4 places |
| LEGACY CARGO LLC | #15 | #17 | Down 2 places |
| MEGA TRUCKS INC | #16 | #18 | Down 2 places |
| SUNGOR TRANSPORTATION INC | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| PRESTIGE, | #18 | #21 | Down 3 places |
| EMPIRE NATIONAL INC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| J & J Oil LLC | #13 | #23 | Down 10 places |
| COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION LLC | #26 | #24 | Up 2 places |
| NY Prime | #19 | #25 | Down 6 places |
| Always Franklin LLC | #3 | #26 | Down 23 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #22 | #27 | Down 5 places |
| NV Transport Inc. | #25 | #28 | Down 3 places |
| US ROADWAY INC | Not ranked | #29 | New |
| OVERLOG INC | Not ranked | #30 | New |
| Milliy Logistics LLC | #29 | #31 | Down 2 places |
| LINESTAR EXPRESS LLC | #27 | #32 | Down 5 places |
| MALAKAND TRANSPORTATION LLC | #30 | #33 | Down 3 places |
| VITAL TRANSPORTATION CORP | #31 | #34 | Down 3 places |
| Safe Line Inc | Not ranked | #35 | New |
| GOLDWAY EXPRESS INC | #35 | #36 | Down 1 place |
| RIVER XPRESS INC | #34 | #37 | Down 3 places |
| LUDA INC | #32 | #38 | Down 6 places |
| EVERY DAY TRUCKING TEAM INC | #33 | #39 | Down 6 places |
| LEADER FREIGHT SYSTEMS | #37 | #40 | Down 3 places |
| VIPER FREIGHT LLC | #36 | #41 | Down 5 places |
| Crossroad Transport Logistics | #39 | #42 | Down 3 places |
| ARO TRANS LLC | #42 | #44 | Down 2 places |
| INTEGRA GROUP INC | #40 | #45 | Down 5 places |
| KG GROUP LLC | #45 | #46 | Down 1 place |
| HINTON EXPRESS FREIGHT LLC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| JEJ Transport & Logistics Inc | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| KILO METER LOGISTIC INC | #9 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| BLACK EAGLE EXPRESS LLC | #21 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| A&M CARRIERS INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #24 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SAFETY WAY INC | #38 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Vectura Inc | #41 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| IMG TRUCKING | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| OTRL Recruiting | #48 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Santa Barbara, California's top owner-operator carriers right now
The top of the list is MONDO MOTION LLC at $9,250/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1MONDO MOTION LLC — $9,250/wk
MONDO MOTION LLC leads the Santa Barbara, California market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. MONDO MOTION LLC pays above the 89th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Santa Barbara, California market. MONDO MOTION LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. MONDO MOTION LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Santa Barbara, California median.
#2MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC — $3,025/wk
MAYBACH INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC makes its first-time appearance in Santa Barbara, California's ranking this month. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 96th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#3ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC — $6,500/wk
ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC debuts in the Santa Barbara, California top 50 this month — it wasn't tracked here last month. ROLLING ON WHEELS LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Santa Barbara, California.
Also in the top 10: #4 IKKO LOGISTICS LLC at $12,000/wk, #5 Rickman Transport, LLC at $9,250/wk, #6 GNS TRUCKING INC at $9,000/wk, #7 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 HERMES NVC CORP at $4,000/wk, #10 ARCHER HOLDING GROUP at $8,000/wk.
What Santa Barbara, California drivers actually run
11% of Santa Barbara, California's active CDL postings are regional and 87% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (2%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Santa Barbara, California postings; dedicated routes at 39%; take-truck-home at 85%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 66% and riders-allowed at 66%.
How Santa Barbara, California compares to California
| Santa Barbara, California | California top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $7,772 | $6,517 | +19% |
| Riders-allowed policies | 80% | 88% | -8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Santa Barbara, California's biggest divergence from California is on average weekly pay, 19% above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in California
California is one of the toughest states to drive CDL in the country, and one of the most lucrative for the right setup. CARB emissions rules are the strictest in the US, so engine year and compliance matter for fleet work — if you're owner-op, check current CARB rules before buying a truck. Drayage out of LA / Long Beach and warehouse-rotation work in the Inland Empire pay above the national average, but cost of living is brutal. The mountain passes (Grapevine, Donner, plus high winds on Cajon) add real winter complexity that most other Southwest lanes don't. Drivers with serious mountain experience earn it back.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Santa Barbara, California
- CDL driver salary in Santa Barbara, California
- Best owner-operator companies in California
How we compile these rankings
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated November 2026.