Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Iowa (July 2026)
Iowa, July 2026: 549 active W2 trucking carriers. LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads with an average weekly pay of $1,680. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/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 July 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The trucking companies leading Iowa this month
The top of the list is LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY at $1,680/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY — $1,680/wk
LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads the Iowa market on combined pay and ranking score this month. On driver fitness, the carrier ranks in the 91st percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Iowa.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 97th percentile. Forest Brook Trucking LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Iowa median.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. sits in the 97th percentile for weekly pay among Iowa carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,925/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #7 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #8 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #9 OMAHA TRACK INC at $2,000/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Iowa drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Iowa this month, 23% are regional and 67% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 10%.
Across Iowa CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 74% take-truck-home, 62% pet-friendly, 62% riders-allowed.
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 graduated 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 Iowa
- CDL driver salary in Iowa
- Best trucking companies in the United States
How we compile these rankings
The composite score is 30% compensation, 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits, and 20% operational performance. Pay percentiles are computed against carriers currently hiring in each market; FMCSA percentiles come from SAFER and weight unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 2× heavier than the other three dimensions. Updated July 2026.