Updated September 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Santa Maria, California (September 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 200 active owner-operator carriers in Santa Maria, California this September 2026. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $8,500. Rickman Transport, LLC follows at $9,250/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 September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Santa Maria, California vs California: the numbers that diverge
| Santa Maria, California | California top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $7,740 | $6,574 | +18% |
| Riders-allowed policies | 82% | 90% | -8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
The largest gap is on average weekly pay: Santa Maria, California sits 18% above the California baseline.
Where owner-operator pay is strongest in Santa Maria, California this month
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN 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.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $8,500/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tops the Santa Maria, California ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Pay sits above the 87th percentile in the Santa Maria, California market. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Santa Maria, California.
#2Rickman Transport, LLC — $9,250/wk
Rickman Transport, LLC sits in the 95th percentile for gross weekly revenue among Santa Maria, California carriers. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 91st percentile.
Rickman Transport, LLC offers the highest sign-on bonus among Santa Maria, California's top 10 — $6,000.
#3Always Franklin LLC — $8,250/wk
Always Franklin LLC pays above the 85th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Santa Maria, California market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Ali Star Inc at $10,000/wk, #5 GNS TRUCKING INC at $9,000/wk, #6 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #7 TP TRUCKING at $8,500/wk, #8 KILO METER LOGISTIC INC at $7,500/wk, #9 ZAIETS TRANSPORTATION LLC at $8,675/wk, #10 ARCHER HOLDING GROUP at $8,000/wk.
What Santa Maria, California drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Santa Maria, California this month, 11% are regional and 88% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 1%.
Across Santa Maria, California CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 39% dedicated, 86% take-truck-home, 69% pet-friendly, 67% riders-allowed.
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 clean-truck enforcement is the most aggressive in the US, so newer equipment is effectively required for fleet work — if you're owner-op, plan the truck purchase around it. Drayage out of LA / Long Beach and warehouse-rotation work in the Inland Empire pay near the top of the national scale, but cost of living is brutal. The mountain passes (Cajon, Grapevine, Donner) 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 Maria, California
- CDL driver salary in Santa Maria, California
- Best owner-operator companies in California
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 September 2026.