Center of the map, every direction
Owner-Operator CDL-A OTR Jobs in Kansas
Kansas has one thing most states cannot offer an OTR driver: the middle of the country. From the Kansas City metro, I-70 heads west toward Denver and I-35 runs southwest to Wichita and on into Oklahoma and Texas. East of the line, Missouri opens up the whole Midwest. Rail freight gets transloaded to trucks at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton, Wichita builds aircraft, and the southwest corner packs beef.
Questions? Talk to a recruiter: 1-888-283-6958
At a glance
Position
Owner-operator, independent contractor
Equipment
Rental. No lease-purchase
Runs
OTR. 2 to 3 weeks out, then a few days at home
Requirements
Class A CDL, 2+ years OTR, no DUI, no SAP
Endorsements
None needed
Potential take-home
$2,500+ per week after all expenses. Many drivers earn more.
Owner operator jobs in Kansas with MB Global are open twelve months a year. No seasonal push, no cap on how many Kansas drivers we take. Hold a Class A CDL, have at least 2 years of OTR time, and live in the state? Fill out the quick pre-qualifying form and a recruiter will reach out.
Potential take-home pay
$2,500+ per week is where take-home starts for a Kansas owner-operator running with MB Global, after all expenses. It varies with experience and other factors from one driver to the next, and many bring home more.
Who qualifies for owner-operator jobs in Kansas
Class A CDL, endorsements not needed
At least 2 years running OTR
Clean of DUI and DWI
No SAP history on file
DOT medical card that is current
You live in Kansas
How our owner-operator program works
01
Rental, no strings
Trucks are rented. We do not sell equipment and we do not run a lease-purchase program, so nothing you pay toward the truck builds toward owning it. That keeps it simple: a rental, and nothing more.
02
Your own books
You work with MB Global as an independent contractor. You keep your own books and get paid by settlement on the loads you haul. Nobody puts you on a payroll.
03
Weeks out, days home
All freight is OTR. The rhythm we suggest is 2 to 3 weeks on the road and then a few days back in Kansas. Miles, pay and home time are never promised, because freight changes week to week.
Freight corridors OTR drivers run from Kansas
Start with the Kansas City side. Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton is one of the country's busier rail to truck transfer points, and the warehouses around it fill trailers heading in every direction. Wichita, down I-35, is a manufacturing town, with aircraft work and the parts suppliers that feed it. Out west, Garden City, Dodge City and Liberal anchor a large beef packing region, which means reefers and cattle feed moving along US-50, US-54 and US-83. In the May 2025 BLS data, Kansas drivers post a median wage above the national figure.
I-70 is the east to west line: Kansas City, Topeka, Salina, then flat open road to the Colorado border. I-35 angles southwest from Kansas City to Wichita and continues to Oklahoma, with a long stretch on the Kansas Turnpike. I-135 is the short connector between Wichita and Salina, so you can switch from I-35 to I-70 without backtracking. West of Salina, the US highways carry a lot of the truck traffic.
Kansas wind, snow and Turnpike tolls
Check KanDrive for statewide conditions before a run. The Kansas Turnpike carries pieces of I-35, I-335 and I-70, so expect tolls on those segments. West of Salina, I-70 gets high winds that push a dry van around and winter storms that can close the road. Plan fuel and stops with that in mind.
What the numbers say about Kansas driving jobs
24,220
Truck drivers employed
$58,920
Median annual wage
2,640
Openings a year
Kansas is one of the states where the median driver wage sits above the national one. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 24,220 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers here in May 2025, with a median annual wage of $58,920 against the U.S. median of $58,640. State projections show the job count rising from 24,970 in 2024 to 25,860 by 2034, with around 2,640 openings a year. Note that these figures cover wage and salary drivers, not owner-operator earnings. Your results come from your loads and your costs.
Orientation, travel and lodging
Orientation
A remote part you do from Kansas, then in-person days at our terminal.
Lodging
Lodging during the in-person portion is covered in full by MB Global.
Travel
Paid up front by MB Global, then charged back at $50 per week on your settlements until recovered.
Here is how the trip works. The first part of orientation is remote. For the in-person part you travel to our terminal, whether that is a flight out of Kansas City or Wichita or a drive. MB Global books it and pays up front, then deducts $50 per week from settlements. Lodging is covered completely. Ask the recruiter how many weeks the deduction lasts and what line it appears on.
See if you pre-qualify
Six questions. About sixty seconds. That is the whole pre-qualifying step, and the answers go to the recruiting team and nowhere else.
Takes about a minute to finish
Goes to recruiters, not advertisers
The federal application comes later
Your answers go only to our recruiting team. We never share them with advertising or analytics tools.
What happens next
Three steps from here to the road
1
Answer the six questions and hit send from wherever you are in Kansas.
2
A recruiter follows up with qualified drivers to talk specifics.
3
Finish the FMCSA application, then lock in your orientation dates.
What you'll need for the full application
When you move past the short form, you fill out the federal driver application required by 49 CFR 391.21. Have this ready:
Class A CDL information: issuing state, license number, expiration, plus any other CDL or learner permit.
Where you have lived for the last 3 years, every address.
Work history for 3 years, and any carrier you drove a commercial motor vehicle for during the 7 years before that, with dates, addresses and reason for leaving.
Experience by type of equipment, such as dry van, reefer or flatbed, and how long on each.
Any accident or traffic conviction in the past 3 years, along with any license suspension, revocation or denial.
Proof of a current DOT medical card, with the expiration date.
Permission for the MVR check, inquiries to previous employers about safety and drug and alcohol testing, and a Clearinghouse query (49 CFR 391.23).
Kansas owner-operator FAQs
Are there tolls on the Kansas Turnpike for trucks?
Yes. The Kansas Turnpike carries segments of I-35, I-335 and I-70, and those stretches are tolled. If you run between Kansas City, Topeka, Emporia and Wichita, you will be on it. Ask the recruiter how tolls fit your cost picture as an independent contractor, and check the Turnpike site for current rates.
How bad is I-70 in western Kansas in winter?
It can shut down. High winds are a year-round issue west of Salina, and winter storms can close I-70 for hours or longer. KanDrive posts closures and conditions. If you are headed toward Colorado in January, check it before you commit to a fuel stop and keep extra time in the plan.
What makes Kansas City a good place to start OTR runs?
Freight volume. Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton moves containers from rail to truck, and the warehouses around the metro load trailers for every region. From there, I-70 and I-35 give you a straight shot west, south or east. A Kansas driver who lives near the metro has short deadhead to a lot of freight.
Does the pre-qualifying form go anywhere besides recruiting?
No. The six answers go only to the MB Global recruiting team. They are not fed to advertising or analytics tools. The form is a quick screen so a recruiter knows whether to call you. It is not the federal application, which comes later and asks for much more detail.
Is the median driver wage in Kansas really above the national number?
In the May 2025 BLS data, yes: $58,920 for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Kansas versus $58,640 nationally. Remember that these figures describe wage and salary drivers. As an owner-operator you are paid by settlement on your loads, and your take-home depends on your costs, so the comparison is a market signal, not a forecast.
If the truck is a rental, what am I responsible for?
Your business expenses and your own records. The equipment stays a rental, with no lease-purchase and no path to buying it through MB Global. That is on purpose: you do not take on a truck loan to run with us. Ask the recruiter for the specifics of what is included and what comes out of your settlements.
Apply now
If you live in Kansas and want CDL A OTR work as an owner-operator, start the short form today. Questions first? Call 1-888-283-6958, 7 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week.
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