Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Texas (September 2026)
Through September 2026, 573 carriers in Texas employ W2 company drivers across the lanes Lanefinder tracks. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC follows at $1,600/week. Texas freight moves on I-10 / I-35 / I-20 corridors connecting Gulf Coast energy and Port of Houston to border crossings at Laredo and El Paso — two of the busiest US-Mexico commercial crossings — and large retail and manufacturing distribution inland.
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 Texas 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 Texas market on combined pay and ranking score this month. 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 leads Texas's top 10 on sign-on bonus, advertising $5,000 for new drivers.
#2IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC — $1,600/wk
IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 87th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer. IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC offers a guaranteed weekly minimum.
For guaranteed weekly pay, IMPERIAL EXPRESS LLC is the only top-10 Texas carrier offering it.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among Texas carriers. On unsafe-driving avoidance, the carrier ranks in the 93rd percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC doesn't top the ranking but offers higher weekly pay than #1 — $2,200/week.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #6 WOODFIELD INC at $1,450/wk, #7 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #8 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #9 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $1,850/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Texas drivers actually run
The route mix in Texas this month tilts OTR: 21% regional, 60% OTR, 15% local, 4% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Texas postings; dedicated routes at 30%; take-truck-home at 62%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 52% and riders-allowed at 50%.
Driving CDL in Texas
Texas is the largest CDL market in the country and the deepest mix of lane types. Cross-border work out of Laredo and El Paso, oil-field service in the Permian Basin, dedicated retail out of Dallas and Houston, and reefer pulling produce out of the Rio Grande Valley all run from different parts of the state — and they pay very differently. Texas has favorable trucking regulations and no state income tax, which is real money on the back end. The summer heat is the operational variable most newcomers underestimate; equipment, hours, and load-securing all behave differently when ambient temps hit 110°F.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in Texas
- CDL driver salary in Texas
- Best trucking companies in the United States
The methodology behind the rankings
Rankings combine four signals: compensation (30%) including pay percentile, sign-on bonuses, guaranteed pay, and settlement frequency; FMCSA safety (25%); benefits (25%) scored differently for W2 vs owner-operator carriers; and operational performance (20%) measuring employer responsiveness and fleet scale. Recomputed monthly from real active job postings. Updated September 2026.