Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Salinas, California (November 2026)
202 W2 trucking carriers are hiring in Salinas, California this November 2026. Leggett & Platt Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,166 and an average $1,999 sign-on bonus. Herrington Transportation Inc. follows at $2,000/week. California freight is dominated by the Port of LA / Long Beach complex, Central Valley agriculture, and the Inland Empire warehouse cluster along I-10 and I-15.
What changed in November 2026
HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC at #3 and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #5 are new to the top 50 in Salinas, California. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#19 → #2). Biggest fall: REISCH TRUCKING INC (#27 → #43). WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE (was #9) left the top 50. Elsewhere in the top 50, 2 carriers joined, 3 left, and 42 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #19 | #2 | Up 17 places |
| HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #3 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| REEVE TRUCKING COMPANY | #3 | #6 | Down 3 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| Dillard Trucking | #7 | #8 | Down 1 place |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| Fisher Brothers Trucking | #8 | #11 | Down 3 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #11 | #12 | Down 1 place |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #10 | #13 | Down 3 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #13 | #14 | Down 1 place |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #17 | #15 | Up 2 places |
| TRIUS TRUCKING INC | #12 | #17 | Down 5 places |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #15 | #18 | Down 3 places |
| NEIER INC | #18 | #19 | Down 1 place |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #14 | #20 | Down 6 places |
| Creedence Energy Services LLC | #20 | #21 | Down 1 place |
| HAWKS TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #22 | New |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #21 | #23 | Down 2 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #22 | #24 | Down 2 places |
| Prime Inc. | #23 | #25 | Down 2 places |
| TRANS XPRESS LINE INC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #26 | #27 | Down 1 place |
| NATIONWIDE TRANS INC | #30 | #28 | Up 2 places |
| CNA FREIGHT LLC | #32 | #29 | Up 3 places |
| Cross Integrated Transport, LLC | #29 | #30 | Down 1 place |
| Southland Transportation | #28 | #31 | Down 3 places |
| NTA, LTD. | #31 | #32 | Down 1 place |
| ELITE EXPRESS | #34 | #33 | Up 1 place |
| VITAL TRANSPORTATION CORP | #33 | #34 | Down 1 place |
| STONE TRANSPORT | #36 | #35 | Up 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #37 | #36 | Up 1 place |
| Idea Transport LLC | #35 | #37 | Down 2 places |
| K & R TRANSPORT LLC | #41 | #38 | Up 3 places |
| BIG WINGS LLC | Not ranked | #39 | New |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #38 | #40 | Down 2 places |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| CAPITOL TRUCK LINES INC | #43 | #42 | Up 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #27 | #43 | Down 16 places |
| LIBERTY HAULERS INC | #42 | #44 | Down 2 places |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #44 | #45 | Down 1 place |
| 1 MTX LLC | #45 | #46 | Down 1 place |
| KZY Logistics LLC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| Detmar Logistics | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| HORIZON TRANSPORTATION | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| NAJJAR BROTHERS LLC | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #9 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #24 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SMARTWAY EXPRESS INC | #39 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| GOLDEN LION INC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Salinas, California this month
The top of the list is Leggett & Platt Inc. at $2,166/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Leggett & Platt Inc. — $2,166/wk
Leggett & Platt Inc. tops the Salinas, California ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Weekly pay here lands in the 91st percentile across Salinas, California. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 89th percentile. Leggett & Platt Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. climbed from #19 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Salinas, California. The carrier ranks in the 88th percentile for weekly pay in Salinas, California. Herrington Transportation Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#3HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC — $1,700/wk
HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC debuts in the Salinas, California top 50 this month — it wasn't tracked here last month. HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC ranks in the 93rd percentile for driver fitness on FMCSA SAFER data. HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
Also in the top 10: #4 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #5 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #6 REEVE TRUCKING COMPANY at $1,900/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 Dillard Trucking at $2,200/wk, #9 G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC at $2,045/wk, #10 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Salinas, California
16% of Salinas, California's active CDL postings are regional and 82% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (2%).
Across Salinas, California CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 30% dedicated, 73% take-truck-home, 65% pet-friendly, 62% riders-allowed.
How Salinas, California compares to California
Salinas, California's biggest divergence from California is on take-truck-home, 6 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in California
California is one of the toughest states to drive CDL in the country, and one of the most lucrative for the right setup. CARB emissions rules are the strictest in the US, so engine year and compliance matter for fleet work — if you're owner-op, check current CARB rules before buying a truck. Drayage out of LA / Long Beach and warehouse-rotation work in the Inland Empire pay above the national average, but cost of living is brutal. The mountain passes (Grapevine, Donner, plus high winds on Cajon) add real winter complexity that most other Southwest lanes don't. Drivers with serious mountain experience earn it back.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Salinas, California
- CDL driver salary in Salinas, California
- Best trucking companies in California
Where this data comes from
Compensation, FMCSA safety, benefits, and operational performance — weighted 30, 25, 25, and 20 percent respectively. Compensation extends beyond headline pay to include sign-on bonus tier and settlement cadence. Benefits scoring differs by hiring type because the perks that matter to a W2 driver and a contractor are not the same. Updated November 2026.