Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Iowa (November 2026)
Iowa, November 2026: 550 active W2 trucking carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,520/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
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #9 is new to the top 50 in Iowa. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#39 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#24 → #3), and True Transport Inc. (#21 → #6). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #25), SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC (#11 → #24), and CYCLE LOGISTICS INC (#19 → #30). Elsewhere in the top 50, 6 carriers joined, 6 left, 36 changed rank, and 1 changed pay or benefits.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #39 | #1 | Up 38 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | #13 | #2 | Up 11 placesweekly pay down 1.9% ($1,550 → $1,520) |
| FW TRUCKING | #24 | #3 | Up 21 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #3 | #4 | Down 1 place |
| HandledNow LLC | #2 | #5 | Down 3 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #21 | #6 | Up 15 places |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #8 | Down 3 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #7 | #13 | Down 6 places |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #14 | New |
| OMAHA TRACK INC | #8 | #15 | Down 7 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #9 | #16 | Down 7 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #14 | #17 | Down 3 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #10 | #18 | Down 8 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| SECOR LOGISTICS LLC | #12 | #20 | Down 8 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #16 | #22 | Down 6 places |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #17 | #23 | Down 6 places |
| SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC | #11 | #24 | Down 13 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #25 | Down 24 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #18 | #26 | Down 8 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #20 | #27 | Down 7 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #28 | New |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #25 | #29 | Down 4 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #19 | #30 | Down 11 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #22 | #31 | Down 9 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #27 | #32 | Down 5 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #29 | #33 | Down 4 places |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #26 | #34 | Down 8 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #28 | #35 | Down 7 places |
| A & H INC | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #30 | #37 | Down 7 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #35 | #39 | Down 4 places |
| CENTENNIAL WAREHOUSING | Not ranked | #40 | New |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #36 | #41 | Down 5 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #38 | #42 | Down 4 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #40 | #43 | Down 3 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #41 | #44 | Down 3 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #42 | #45 | Down 3 places |
| DOUBLE V V INC | #43 | #46 | Down 3 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #45 | #47 | Down 2 places |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #46 | #48 | Down 2 places |
| Bakers Express | #47 | #49 | Down 2 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #31 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #32 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #37 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #48 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading 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. is number-one in Iowa this month on the composite ranking. Weekly pay here lands in the 92nd percentile across Iowa. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,520/wk
McLeod Express LLC rose 11 positions month-over-month, from #13 to #2. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 94th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Pay is guaranteed on a weekly minimum.
For stable long-haul work, McLeod Express LLC is the only top-10 Iowa carrier pairing OTR routes with guaranteed pay.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING rose 21 positions month-over-month, from #24 to #3. FW TRUCKING's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $2,037/wk, #5 HandledNow LLC at $1,550/wk, #6 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #7 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $1,975/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #10 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk.
What Iowa drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Iowa this month, 23% are regional and 65% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 12%.
Across Iowa CDL postings: 3% with guaranteed pay, 27% dedicated, 73% take-truck-home, 61% 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 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 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 November 2026.