Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Missoula, Montana (September 2026)
Missoula, Montana's W2 trucking market includes 194 active carriers 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. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC follows at $2,200/week. Montana freight is defined by long haul on the Northern Tier I-90 / I-94 corridors, with agricultural shipments of wheat and cattle, coal export volumes from the Powder River Basin, and oil-field service routes in the Bakken region.
What changed in September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Missoula, Montana'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 is number-one in Missoula, Montana 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.
#2JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC pays above the 89th percentile on weekly pay for the Missoula, Montana market. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 93rd percentile.
#3DICK IRVIN INC — $2,250/wk
DICK IRVIN INC pays above the 91st percentile on weekly pay for the Missoula, Montana market. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 97th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #5 ALBA TRANS INC at $3,000/wk, #6 G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC at $2,045/wk, #7 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk, #8 BRADY TRUCKING INC at $1,750/wk, #9 Dillard Trucking at $2,200/wk, #10 THE WAGGONERS TRUCKING at $1,650/wk.
What Missoula, Montana drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in Missoula, Montana this month, 12% are regional and 86% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 2%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Missoula, Montana postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 80%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 68% and riders-allowed at 67%.
Missoula, Montana vs Montana: the numbers that diverge
| Missoula, Montana | Montana top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 50% | 40% | +10 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 38% | 26% | +12 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
Missoula, Montana's biggest divergence from Montana is on dedicated routes, 12 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Montana
Montana freight runs the Northern Tier I-90 / I-94 corridors — long, lightly-trafficked, often beautiful, and operationally serious. Wheat and cattle freight dominate outbound; coal from the Powder River Basin generates significant rail-to-truck transfers. Oil-field service in the eastern Bakken corner of the state adds energy-sector loads. Winter is severe and long. Cost of living is moderate, with the Bozeman and Missoula corridors notably more expensive than the rest of the state. Montana has a moderate graduated state income tax. Distances are real: "long-haul" here means a different scale than the Northeast.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Missoula, Montana
- CDL driver salary in Missoula, Montana
- Best trucking companies in Montana
How we compile these rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated September 2026.