Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Santa Barbara, California (November 2026)
Santa Barbara, California has 202 active W2 trucking carriers as of November 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC follows at $1,700/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 #2 and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #4 are new to the top 50 in Santa Barbara, California. Biggest climb: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#18 → #1). Biggest fall: REISCH TRUCKING INC (#23 → #42). WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE (was #8) left the top 50. Elsewhere in the top 50, 2 carriers joined, 3 left, and 43 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #18 | #1 | Up 17 places |
| HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #2 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #1 | #3 | Down 2 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #4 | New |
| REEVE TRUCKING COMPANY | #2 | #5 | Down 3 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #3 | #6 | Down 3 places |
| Dillard Trucking | #6 | #7 | Down 1 place |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| Fisher Brothers Trucking | #7 | #10 | Down 3 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #10 | #11 | Down 1 place |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #9 | #12 | Down 3 places |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #12 | #13 | Down 1 place |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #13 | #14 | Down 1 place |
| TRIUS TRUCKING INC | #11 | #15 | Down 4 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #17 | #16 | Up 1 place |
| NEIER INC | #16 | #17 | Down 1 place |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #15 | #18 | Down 3 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #14 | #19 | Down 5 places |
| HAWKS TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #20 | New |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #20 | #21 | Down 1 place |
| Brenny Specialized Inc | #19 | #22 | Down 3 places |
| Prime Inc. | #21 | #23 | Down 2 places |
| TRANS XPRESS LINE INC | #22 | #24 | Down 2 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #24 | #25 | Down 1 place |
| NATIONWIDE TRANS INC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| CNA FREIGHT LLC | #31 | #27 | Up 4 places |
| Southland Transportation | #26 | #28 | Down 2 places |
| Cross Integrated Transport, LLC | #27 | #29 | Down 2 places |
| ELITE EXPRESS | #29 | #30 | Down 1 place |
| NTA, LTD. | #28 | #31 | Down 3 places |
| VITAL TRANSPORTATION CORP | #30 | #32 | Down 2 places |
| STONE TRANSPORT | #32 | #33 | Down 1 place |
| Idea Transport LLC | #33 | #35 | Down 2 places |
| K & R TRANSPORT LLC | #38 | #36 | Up 2 places |
| BIG WINGS LLC | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #37 | #38 | Down 1 place |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #35 | #39 | Down 4 places |
| CAPITOL TRUCK LINES INC | #41 | #40 | Up 1 place |
| FBF TRANSPORTATION | #39 | #41 | Down 2 places |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #23 | #42 | Down 19 places |
| LIBERTY HAULERS INC | #40 | #43 | Down 3 places |
| 1 MTX LLC | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| KZY Logistics LLC | #44 | #45 | Down 1 place |
| Parks Motor Group Inc | #42 | #46 | Down 4 places |
| Detmar Logistics | #45 | #47 | Down 2 places |
| HORIZON TRANSPORTATION | #46 | #48 | Down 2 places |
| NAJJAR BROTHERS LLC | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| GOLDEN LION INC | #49 | #50 | Down 1 place |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #8 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| SMARTWAY EXPRESS INC | #36 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| JZX Inc | #47 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| TRANSMASTER TRANSPORT LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Santa Barbara, California's top trucking carriers right now
The top of the list is Herrington Transportation Inc. at $2,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. is number-one in Santa Barbara, California this month on the composite ranking. Weekly pay here lands in the 89th percentile across Santa Barbara, California. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC — $1,700/wk
HIGH MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT LLC debuts in the Santa Barbara, California top 50 this month — it wasn't tracked here last month. Top FMCSA dimension here is driver fitness, in the 93rd percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC pays above the 88th percentile on weekly pay for the Santa Barbara, California market. Top FMCSA dimension here is vehicle maintenance, in the 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #5 REEVE TRUCKING COMPANY at $1,900/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 Dillard Trucking at $2,200/wk, #8 G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC at $2,045/wk, #9 ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC at $2,000/wk, #10 Fisher Brothers Trucking at $2,250/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Santa Barbara, California
Of active CDL postings in Santa Barbara, California this month, 15% are regional and 82% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 3%.
Across Santa Barbara, California CDL postings: 2% with guaranteed pay, 29% dedicated, 75% take-truck-home, 65% pet-friendly, 63% riders-allowed.
Santa Barbara, California vs California: the numbers that diverge
| Santa Barbara, California | California top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 80% | 72% | +8 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 66% | +6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 68% | 62% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
The largest gap is on take-truck-home: Santa Barbara, California sits 8 points above the California 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 Santa Barbara, California
- CDL driver salary in Santa Barbara, California
- Best trucking companies in California
Where this data comes from
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 November 2026.