Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in St. Louis, Missouri (November 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 379 active W2 trucking carriers in St. Louis, Missouri this November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,550/week. St. Louis is a major river and rail crossroads at I-70 / I-55 / I-44 on the Mississippi, with barge terminal activity, Anheuser-Busch beverage freight, automotive manufacturing, and chemical-corridor loads defining the lane mix.
What changed in November 2026
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #6, MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #7, and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #9 are new to the top 50 in St. Louis, Missouri. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#32 → #1), True Transport Inc. (#16 → #3), and McLeod Express LLC (#14 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26), SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC (#7 → #17), and RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC (#23 → #33). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 36 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #32 | #1 | Up 31 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | #14 | #2 | Up 12 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #16 | #3 | Up 13 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #5 | #11 | Down 6 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #12 | Down 6 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #13 | New |
| GATEWAY DISTRIBUTION | #9 | #14 | Down 5 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #10 | #15 | Down 5 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #8 | #16 | Down 8 places |
| SCHMUHL BROTHERS INC | #7 | #17 | Down 10 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #12 | #18 | Down 6 places |
| Farmers Oil Company Inc | #13 | #19 | Down 6 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #11 | #20 | Down 9 places |
| FW TRUCKING | Not ranked | #21 | New |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #15 | #22 | Down 7 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #17 | #23 | Down 6 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #18 | #24 | Down 6 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #20 | #25 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #26 | Down 25 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #19 | #27 | Down 8 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #28 | New |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #21 | #29 | Down 8 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #25 | #30 | Down 5 places |
| A & H INC | #27 | #31 | Down 4 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #24 | #32 | Down 8 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #23 | #33 | Down 10 places |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #26 | #34 | Down 8 places |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #33 | #35 | Down 2 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #29 | #36 | Down 7 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #31 | #38 | Down 7 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #35 | #39 | Down 4 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #34 | #40 | Down 6 places |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #38 | #41 | Down 3 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #36 | #42 | Down 6 places |
| T - J TRANSPORT INC | #37 | #43 | Down 6 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #40 | #44 | Down 4 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #41 | #45 | Down 4 places |
| KRUPP TRUCKING LLC | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| StaffWorthy | #42 | #47 | Down 5 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #48 | Down 5 places |
| Bakers Express | #45 | #49 | Down 4 places |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #46 | #50 | Down 4 places |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #28 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #30 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #39 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #47 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| KMH Logistics LLC | #48 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| National Express Carriers | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where CDL pay is strongest in St. Louis, Missouri this month
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. leads the St. Louis, Missouri market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Pay sits above the 86th percentile in the St. Louis, Missouri market. Lanefinder's application data flags Herrington Transportation Inc. as a responsive employer.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,550/wk
McLeod Express LLC climbed from #14 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in St. Louis, Missouri. McLeod Express LLC ranks in the 94th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data. The comp package includes a guaranteed-pay structure — useful when freight slows.
For guaranteed weekly pay, McLeod Express LLC is the only top-10 St. Louis, Missouri carrier offering it.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. climbed from #16 to #3 this month — one of the biggest moves in St. Louis, Missouri. Weekly pay here lands in the 97th percentile across St. Louis, Missouri. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 98th percentile.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #7 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #10 DICK LAVY TRUCKING at $1,950/wk.
What St. Louis, Missouri drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in St. Louis, Missouri this month, 19% are regional and 75% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 6%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of St. Louis, Missouri postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 79%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 66% and riders-allowed at 66%.
St. Louis, Missouri vs Missouri: the numbers that diverge
| St. Louis, Missouri | Missouri top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 78% | +12 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 82% | 73% | +9 pt |
| Guaranteed pay | 12% | 4% | +8 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 36% | 43% | -7 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
St. Louis, Missouri's biggest divergence from Missouri is on take-truck-home, 12 points above the state baseline.
Driving CDL in St. Louis
St. Louis is one of the older US freight crossroads — Mississippi River intermodal, dense rail-truck interchange, automotive (General Motors Wentzville). I-70 / I-44 / I-55 corridors all meet here. Housing costs run below the national average. Tornado activity in spring is a real operational variable.
Driving CDL in Missouri
Missouri freight is shaped by the St. Louis and Kansas City hubs anchoring the I-70 / I-44 / I-55 corridors. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers provide barge access for agricultural and bulk commodity transfers. St. Louis is one of the older US freight crossroads — the rail-truck interchange there is dense and complicated. Living costs sit comfortably below the national average; Missouri has a low-to-moderate graduated state income tax. Tornado season typically peaks in spring and shapes dispatch in central and southern MO.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in St. Louis, Missouri
- CDL driver salary in St. Louis, Missouri
- Best trucking companies in Missouri
The methodology behind the rankings
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 November 2026.