Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in California (September 2026)
401 W2 trucking carriers are currently posting jobs in California as of September 2026. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,600 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. Leggett & Platt Inc. follows at $2,166/week. 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.
California's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $1,600/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,600/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tops the California ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 93rd percentile. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC responds to driver applications more reliably than the California median.
#2Leggett & Platt Inc. — $2,166/wk
Leggett & Platt Inc. sits in the 93rd percentile for weekly pay among California carriers. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 93rd percentile.
#3Flexsteel Industries — $2,000/wk
Flexsteel Industries sits in the 92nd percentile for weekly pay among California carriers. Flexsteel Industries's top FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 84th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 DICK IRVIN INC at $2,250/wk, #6 TP TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #7 Big Foot Transport LLC at $2,650/wk, #8 FRESHPOINT CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INC at $2,500/wk, #9 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #10 FIVE BELOW INC at $2,250/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in California
The route mix in California this month tilts OTR: 19% regional, 55% OTR, 22% local, 5% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Across California CDL postings: 1% with guaranteed pay, 30% dedicated, 57% take-truck-home, 52% pet-friendly, 48% 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 owner-operator companies in California
- CDL driver salary in California
- Best trucking companies in the United States
Where this data comes from
Lanefinder's ranking algorithm weights compensation at 30%, FMCSA SAFER safety at 25%, benefits at 25%, and operational performance at 20%. Compensation reflects pay percentile plus sign-on bonus, guaranteed pay, and settlement-frequency adjustments. Benefits scoring is hiring-type-aware. Operational performance comes mostly from how carriers handle real driver applications. Updated September 2026.