Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Kansas (September 2026)
Lanefinder is tracking 485 W2 trucking carriers in Kansas (September 2026). WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,750/week. Kansas freight moves on the I-70 east-west transcontinental corridor and I-35 north-south, with agricultural commodities — wheat, beef, and grain — dominating loads and the Kansas City metro serving as a regional hub.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Kansas's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $1,700/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,700/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC is number-one in Kansas this month on the composite ranking. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC ranks in the 93rd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,750/wk
FW TRUCKING's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 92nd percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#3IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC — $1,600/wk
IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 87th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
Among Kansas's top 10, only IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC pays guaranteed weekly wages — useful if route variance matters.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $2,037/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 DENVER INTERMODAL EXPRESS INC at $2,750/wk, #8 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #9 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Kansas drivers actually run
The route mix in Kansas this month tilts OTR: 21% regional, 72% OTR, 5% local, 2% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Kansas postings; dedicated routes at 23%; take-truck-home at 76%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 64% and riders-allowed at 64%.
Driving CDL in Kansas
Kansas freight moves on the I-70 east-west transcontinental corridor and I-35 north-south, with the Kansas City metro (split with MO) as the regional hub. Wheat, beef, and grain dominate outbound loads, especially in summer harvest season. Wichita aerospace and manufacturing adds steady industrial freight. Kansas has a moderate graduated state income tax; cost of living runs near the bottom of the US distribution. Western Kansas is genuinely remote — long stretches between fuel stops on I-70 west of Salina — and tornado season (April-June) shapes route planning each spring.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Kansas
- CDL driver salary in Kansas
- Best trucking companies in the United States
The methodology behind the 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 September 2026.