Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Salina, Kansas (September 2026)
There are 293 W2 trucking carriers currently posting jobs in Salina, Kansas. The ranking below reflects active jobs as of September 2026, not historical pay surveys. FW TRUCKING leads with an average weekly pay of $1,750. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC follows at $1,700/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.
Where CDL pay is strongest in Salina, Kansas this month
The top of the list is FW TRUCKING at $1,750/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1FW TRUCKING — $1,750/wk
FW TRUCKING tops the Salina, Kansas ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 92nd percentile. FW TRUCKING tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,700/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC ranks in the 93rd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC offers the highest sign-on bonus among Salina, Kansas's top 10 — $5,000.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's weekly pay ranks in the 95th percentile across Salina, Kansas. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 93rd percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #5 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #6 SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC at $2,437/wk, #7 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #8 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #9 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #10 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Salina, Kansas
Of active CDL postings in Salina, Kansas this month, 12% are regional and 87% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 1%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Salina, Kansas postings; dedicated routes at 23%; take-truck-home at 86%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 70% and riders-allowed at 70%.
How Salina, Kansas compares to Kansas
| Salina, Kansas | Kansas top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet-friendly fleets | 80% | 72% | +8 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 86% | 80% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, September 2026
Among the figures above, pet-friendly fleets is where Salina, Kansas differs most from Kansas — 8 points above statewide.
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 Salina, Kansas
- CDL driver salary in Salina, Kansas
- Best trucking companies in Kansas
The methodology behind the rankings
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated September 2026.