Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Belleville, Illinois (May 2026)
660 owner-operator carriers are hiring in Belleville, Illinois this May 2026. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC follows at $2,600/week gross. Illinois anchors the US rail and truck network through Chicago, the largest intermodal hub in North America, with I-80 / I-90 / I-55 feeding a dense concentration of manufacturing, warehousing, and cold-chain freight.
What changed in May 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Where Belleville, Illinois differs from the Illinois baseline
| Belleville, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $6,171 | $5,730 | +8% |
| Riders-allowed policies | 88% | 78% | +10 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 88% | 80% | +8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Belleville, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on riders-allowed policies, 10 points above the state baseline.
The owner-operator carriers leading Belleville, Illinois this month
The top of the list is YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC at $5,491/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC — $5,491/wk
YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tops the Belleville, Illinois ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Top FMCSA dimension here is hours-of-service compliance, in the 98th percentile. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,600/wk
Lanefinder's application data flags AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC as a responsive employer. The comp package includes a guaranteed-pay structure — useful when freight slows.
Among Belleville, Illinois's top 10, only AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC pays guaranteed weekly wages — useful if route variance matters.
#3Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc pays above the 88th percentile on gross weekly revenue for the Belleville, Illinois market. Performance Trucking Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 99th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 D-LINE TRUCKING INC at $5,750/wk, #5 WIDER GROUP INC at $6,250/wk, #6 TAZ TRUCKING INC at $10,999/wk, #7 INLAND EMPIRE LLC at $7,875/wk, #8 BLUE LIGHTNING LOGISTICS at $7,000/wk, #9 TITAN FREIGHT LINES INC at $8,500/wk, #10 M&D TRANSPORT at $7,000/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Belleville, Illinois
10% of Belleville, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 89% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (1%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Belleville, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 94%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 74% and riders-allowed at 71%.
Driving CDL in Illinois
Illinois is one of the most strategically located CDL states — Chicago is the largest US intermodal rail hub, so a huge percentage of national freight passes through. The metro lanes pay well but congestion on I-80, I-90, and I-294 is consistent enough to be a real income variable. Outside the Chicago metro, downstate Illinois looks much more like Iowa or Indiana — agricultural freight, less density, easier driving. State income tax is moderate. The winter operational profile is severe: lake-effect snow, road salt, and the freezing-thawing cycle eat equipment faster than most southern states.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Belleville, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Belleville, Illinois
- Best owner-operator companies in Illinois
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 May 2026.