Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Montana (May 2026)
As of May 2026, 292 carriers in Montana are posting active jobs for W2 company drivers. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. DICK IRVIN INC follows at $2,250/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 May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Where CDL pay is strongest in Montana 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 leads the Montana market on combined pay and ranking score this month. KEEP TRUCKING LLC sits in the 96th percentile for weekly pay among Montana carriers. KEEP TRUCKING LLC's top FMCSA dimension is controlled-substances compliance, in the 88th percentile. KEEP TRUCKING LLC responds to driver applications more reliably than the Montana median.
#2DICK IRVIN INC — $2,250/wk
DICK IRVIN INC pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Montana market. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 96th percentile.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 96th percentile for weekly pay among Montana carriers. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC ranks in the 94th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #5 SABUR LLC at $1,850/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk, #9 DIVINE ENTERPRISES at $1,375/wk, #10 ALBA TRANS INC at $3,000/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Montana
Of active CDL postings in Montana this month, 14% are regional and 79% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 7%.
Across Montana CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 26% dedicated, 77% take-truck-home, 65% pet-friendly, 65% riders-allowed.
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 Montana
- CDL driver salary in Montana
- Best trucking companies in the United States
How we compile these rankings
Pay carriers against each other within the same market (30%). Layer a weighted FMCSA SAFER safety percentile on top (25%). Score the benefits package against what actually matters for the hiring type — W2 health/financial benefits or owner-op operational perks (25%). Finish with operational performance: responsiveness to driver applications plus fleet scale (20%). All percentiles are recomputed monthly. Updated May 2026.