Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Rochester, Minnesota (September 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 309 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Rochester, Minnesota. Rankings below reflect September 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC follows at $2,100/week. Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities metro grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, with large agricultural export volumes — soybeans, corn, and wheat — and a significant medical-device manufacturing sector.
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 Rochester, Minnesota this month
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 leads the Rochester, Minnesota market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 93rd percentile. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC pays above the 88th percentile on weekly pay for the Rochester, Minnesota market. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 99th percentile.
For sign-on cash, HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC posts the largest bonus in Rochester, Minnesota's top 10 at $10,000.
#3PREMIER TRANSPORTATION — $1,950/wk
PREMIER TRANSPORTATION sits in the 87th percentile for weekly pay among Rochester, Minnesota carriers. PREMIER TRANSPORTATION ranks in the 98th percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk, #9 Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Rochester, Minnesota
16% of Rochester, Minnesota's active CDL postings are regional and 81% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (3%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Rochester, Minnesota postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 80%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 67% and riders-allowed at 68%.
How Rochester, Minnesota compares to Minnesota
| Rochester, Minnesota | Minnesota top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 86% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 78% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
Rochester, Minnesota's biggest divergence from Minnesota is on take-truck-home, 6 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in Minnesota
Minnesota freight moves on the I-35 / I-94 Twin Cities grid and reaches the Great Lakes at Duluth, a significant Lake Superior port. Agricultural exports — soybeans, corn, wheat — drive heavy outbound volume. A significant medical-device manufacturing sector (Medtronic and others) generates high-value freight. Winter is the dominant operational variable: sub-zero stretches affect equipment, idle-time policy, and HOS realism. Minnesota has a high graduated state income tax — among the higher rates in the country. The Twin Cities have unusually-designed truck-restricted bridges; first-time runs should consult routing notes carefully.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Rochester, Minnesota
- CDL driver salary in Rochester, Minnesota
- Best trucking companies in Minnesota
Where this data comes from
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated September 2026.