Best Trucking Companies in South Dakota
8 top-ranked carriers hiring in South Dakota. Compare pay, hiring status, and find the right fit for your driving career.
South Dakota Trucking Market Overview
South Dakota's trucking market is driven by agriculture (corn, soybeans, cattle, sunflowers) and a growing distribution sector in Sioux Falls. The state has no income tax, making net take-home pay attractive for truckers. I-90 runs east-west across the state connecting Sioux Falls to Rapid City, while I-29 links Sioux Falls to Fargo and Sioux City. Wind energy installation in the eastern part of the state has added oversized load opportunities.
Top 8 Companies in South Dakota
Anderson's flatbed and heavy haul divisions serve South Dakota's wind energy and agricultural equipment sectors.
Knight-Swift covers South Dakota's I-90 corridor with OTR positions connecting to Minneapolis and Denver.
Schneider hauls bulk grain and agricultural products from South Dakota's farmlands to rail terminals and processors.
Werner, based in nearby Omaha, covers South Dakota with dedicated and OTR freight lanes.
Crete Carrier's central U.S. operations extend into South Dakota with dry van agricultural freight.
Marten's reefer fleet hauls South Dakota's meatpacking output to markets nationwide.
FedEx Freight provides LTL service to South Dakota's Sioux Falls hub and rural communities.
Heartland's Midwest focus provides South Dakota drivers with manageable regional lanes and home time.
How to read this page. The ranking is our own editorial assessment of how each carrier serves drivers in South Dakota, based on the lanes, terminals and freight described in each entry. The pay figure is not ours: heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in South Dakota earn an annual mean of $58,550 per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025). That covers employed company drivers statewide — not owner-operators, whom the survey excludes — and individual carriers pay above and below it. We publish no per-carrier salary because we have no source for one, and we do not track live vacancy counts: for what is open today, check the carrier's own careers page.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Trucking in South Dakota
What is the best trucking company to work for in South Dakota?
Based on our 2026 rankings, Anderson Trucking Service ranks #1 in South Dakota. They earned the top spot because of what they run there: Anderson's flatbed and heavy haul divisions serve South Dakota's wind energy and agricultural equipment sectors. We do not publish a pay figure per carrier — we have no source for one — so check the carrier's own posting for what the seat pays. The best choice for you depends on your experience level, preferred driving type, and home time needs.
How much do truck drivers make in South Dakota?
Heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in South Dakota earn an annual mean of $58,550, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025). That is the figure for employed company drivers across the whole state; owner-operators are not in it, because the survey covers employer payrolls only. Individual carriers pay above and below it, and specialised work — tanker, HazMat, oversize — pays more. The state's top industries — Agriculture (Corn, Cattle), Meatpacking (Smithfield), Wind Energy — shape which kinds of driving pay best.
Which trucking companies should I apply to in South Dakota?
Start with the carriers ranked on this page — Anderson Trucking Service, Knight-Swift Transportation, Schneider National and the rest of the list all run real freight in South Dakota, and each entry says what it is best suited to. We do not track live vacancy counts for other carriers, so check the company's own careers page for what is open today. If you would rather one conversation than nine applications, send us your details and we will work the list with you.