Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in West Des Moines, Iowa (November 2026)
West Des Moines, Iowa, November 2026: 334 active W2 trucking carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,800/week. Iowa freight is shaped by its agricultural output — corn, soybeans, and ethanol — moving on I-80 east-west and I-35 north-south, with Des Moines serving as the primary distribution crossroads.
What changed in November 2026
MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #6 and Mountain States L.P. Gas at #7 are new to the top 50 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#31 → #1) and FW TRUCKING (#15 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #21) and REISCH TRUCKING INC (#38 → #50). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 7 left, and 33 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #31 | #1 | Up 30 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #15 | #2 | Up 13 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #11 | #3 | Up 8 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #3 | #5 | Down 2 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #6 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #7 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #4 | #8 | Down 4 places |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| Badger Express LLC | #8 | #12 | Down 4 places |
| SECOR LOGISTICS LLC | #7 | #13 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #12 | #14 | Down 2 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #9 | #15 | Down 6 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #10 | #16 | Down 6 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #13 | #17 | Down 4 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #17 | #18 | Down 1 place |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #19 | New |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #14 | #20 | Down 6 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #21 | Down 20 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #19 | #22 | Down 3 places |
| A & H INC | #27 | #23 | Up 4 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #22 | #24 | Down 2 places |
| NEIER INC | #20 | #25 | Down 5 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #25 | #26 | Down 1 place |
| M&D TRANSPORT | #24 | #27 | Down 3 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #23 | #28 | Down 5 places |
| Z TRANSPORTATION INC | #28 | #29 | Down 1 place |
| Excel Trucking LLC | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| HAWKS TRANSPORT LLC | Not ranked | #31 | New |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #30 | #33 | Down 3 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #34 | New |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #34 | #36 | Down 2 places |
| CENTENNIAL WAREHOUSING | Not ranked | #37 | New |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| CARGO PROS LLC | #36 | #39 | Down 3 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #35 | #40 | Down 5 places |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #37 | #41 | Down 4 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #41 | #42 | Down 1 place |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #39 | #43 | Down 4 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #43 | #44 | Down 1 place |
| REISCH TRUCKING INC | #38 | #50 | Down 12 places |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #16 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #18 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC | #21 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| GT WORLDWIDE TRANSPORT INC | #40 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Caravan Inc | #42 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| JL LOGISTICS INC | #44 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| 1 MTX LLC | #50 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
West Des Moines, Iowa'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. leads the West Des Moines, Iowa market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 90th percentile for weekly pay among West Des Moines, Iowa carriers. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the West Des Moines, Iowa median.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING climbed from #15 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in West Des Moines, Iowa. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 90th percentile.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. rose 8 positions month-over-month, from #11 to #3. Weekly pay here lands in the 96th percentile across West Des Moines, Iowa. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 98th percentile.
For pure pay maximization, True Transport Inc. beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $2,250.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #7 Mountain States L.P. Gas at $2,000/wk, #8 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #9 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What West Des Moines, Iowa drivers actually run
Of active CDL postings in West Des Moines, Iowa this month, 17% are regional and 80% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 3%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of West Des Moines, Iowa postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 83%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 67% and riders-allowed at 70%.
How West Des Moines, Iowa compares to Iowa
| West Des Moines, Iowa | Iowa top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riders-allowed policies | 84% | 73% | +11 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 28% | 37% | -9 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 63% | +9 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 84% | +8 pt |
| Guaranteed pay | 6% | 12% | -6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
The largest gap is on riders-allowed policies: West Des Moines, Iowa sits 11 points above the Iowa baseline.
Driving CDL in Iowa
Iowa freight is shaped by the state's agricultural output — corn, soybeans, ethanol, pork — moving on the I-80 east-west and I-35 north-south corridors. Des Moines serves as the primary distribution crossroads. Cedar Rapids and Davenport (Quad Cities) add manufacturing and food-processing freight. Iowa runs a moderate flat state income tax; living costs are among the lowest in the Midwest. Winter is severe — wind off the prairie plus drifting snow plus black ice on I-80 makes route timing genuinely consequential from December through March.
Related guides
- Best owner-operator companies in West Des Moines, Iowa
- CDL driver salary in West Des Moines, Iowa
- Best trucking companies in Iowa
The methodology behind the rankings
Pay carriers in the same market against each other (30% of the score). Add a five-dimension FMCSA safety percentile from SAFER (25%). Score benefits based on whether the carrier hires W2 drivers or contractors (25%). Layer on employer responsiveness and fleet scale (20%). The weights are fixed and public. Updated November 2026.