Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Montana (September 2026)
As of September 2026, 289 carriers in Montana are posting active jobs for W2 company drivers. 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.
Where CDL pay is strongest in Montana this month
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 leads the Montana market on combined pay and ranking score this month. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC's top FMCSA dimension is driver fitness, in the 93rd percentile. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Montana.
#2JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among Montana carriers. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC ranks in the 93rd percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
#3DICK 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 97th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 TP TRUCKING at $1,950/wk, #5 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/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 ALBA TRANS INC at $3,000/wk, #10 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/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, 66% pet-friendly, 66% 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 September 2026.