Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Ames, Iowa (November 2026)
335 W2 trucking carriers are currently posting jobs in Ames, Iowa as of November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,850/week. Iowa freight is shaped by its agricultural output — corn, soybeans, and ethanol — moving on I-80 east-west and I-35 north-south, with Des Moines serving as the primary distribution crossroads.
What changed in November 2026
MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #6 and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #7 are new to the top 50 in Ames, Iowa. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#31 → #1) and FW TRUCKING (#14 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #21) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#38 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 7 left, and 34 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #31 | #1 | Up 30 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #14 | #2 | Up 12 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #11 | #3 | Up 8 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| Badger Express LLC | #8 | #12 | Down 4 places |
| SECOR LOGISTICS LLC | #7 | #13 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #12 | #14 | Down 2 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #9 | #15 | Down 6 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #10 | #16 | Down 6 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #13 | #17 | Down 4 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #16 | #18 | Down 2 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #15 | #20 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #21 | Down 20 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #20 | #22 | Down 2 places |
| A & H INC | #27 | #23 | Up 4 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #22 | #24 | Down 2 places |
| NEIER INC | #21 | #25 | Down 4 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #24 | #27 | Down 3 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #23 | #28 | Down 5 places |
| HAWKS TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #29 | New |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #32 | #31 | Up 1 place |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #28 | #32 | Down 4 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #30 | #33 | Down 3 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #34 | New |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| CENTENNIAL WAREHOUSING | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| CARGO PROS LLC | #36 | #39 | Down 3 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #35 | #40 | Down 5 places |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #37 | #41 | Down 4 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #41 | #42 | Down 1 place |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #39 | #43 | Down 4 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #38 | #50 | Down 12 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #17 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| GT WORLDWIDE TRANSPORT INC | #40 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Caravan Inc | #42 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Ames, Iowa this month
The top of the list is Herrington Transportation Inc. at $2,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. leads the Ames, Iowa market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Pay sits above the 85th percentile in the Ames, Iowa market. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Ames, Iowa median.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,850/wk
FW TRUCKING is up from #14 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Ames, Iowa ranking. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. is up from #11 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Ames, Iowa ranking. The carrier ranks in the 96th percentile for weekly pay in Ames, Iowa. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 98th percentile.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #7 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Ames, Iowa drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Ames, Iowa this month, 17% are regional and 80% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 3%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Ames, Iowa postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 83%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 67% and riders-allowed at 69%.
Where Ames, Iowa differs from the Iowa baseline
| Ames, Iowa | Iowa top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 73% | +11 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 28% | 37% | -9 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 63% | +9 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 84% | +8 pt |
| Guaranteed pay | 6% | 12% | -6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, riders-allowed policies is where Ames, Iowa differs most from Iowa — 11 points above statewide.
Driving CDL in Iowa
Iowa freight is shaped by the state's agricultural output — corn, soybeans, ethanol, pork — moving on the I-80 east-west and I-35 north-south corridors. Des Moines serves as the primary distribution crossroads. Cedar Rapids and Davenport (Quad Cities) add manufacturing and food-processing freight. Iowa runs a moderate flat state income tax; living costs are among the lowest in the Midwest. Winter is severe — wind off the prairie plus drifting snow plus black ice on I-80 makes route timing genuinely consequential from December through March.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Ames, Iowa
- CDL driver salary in Ames, Iowa
- Best trucking companies in Iowa
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 November 2026.