Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Iowa (May 2026)
Iowa, May 2026: 551 active W2 trucking carriers. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/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 May 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 KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC is number-one in Iowa this month on the composite ranking. Pay sits above the 91st percentile in the Iowa market. KEEP TRUCKING LLC's top FMCSA dimension is controlled-substances compliance, in the 88th percentile. Lanefinder's application data flags KEEP TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. sits in the 98th percentile for weekly pay among Iowa carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Iowa.
True Transport Inc. actually pays more weekly than the top-ranked carrier — $2,250/week.
#3Covenant Transport Inc — $1,762/wk
Covenant Transport Inc's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 94th percentile.
The top sign-on bonus in Iowa's top 10 is Covenant Transport Inc's — $2,500.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,800/wk, #6 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #7 OMAHA TRACK INC at $2,000/wk, #8 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #9 CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT at $1,750/wk, #10 McLeod Express LLC at $1,550/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: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 75% take-truck-home, 63% pet-friendly, 63% 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 May 2026.