Updated May 2026
Best Owner-Operator Companies in Decatur, Illinois (May 2026)
Decatur, Illinois has 657 active owner-operator carriers as of May 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. YANKEE FREIGHT SYSTEMS LLC leads with an average gross weekly revenue of $5,491 and an average $2,000 sign-on bonus. Performance Trucking Inc follows at $8,000/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.
Decatur, Illinois vs Illinois: the numbers that diverge
| Decatur, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $6,245 | $5,730 | +9% |
| Sign-on bonus rate | 25% | 31% | -6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 88% | 78% | +10 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 88% | 80% | +8 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
The largest gap is on riders-allowed policies: Decatur, Illinois sits 10 points above the Illinois baseline.
Decatur, Illinois's top owner-operator carriers right now
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 leads the Decatur, Illinois market on combined gross revenue and ranking score this month. Strongest FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance — 98th percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2Performance Trucking Inc — $8,000/wk
Performance Trucking Inc sits in the 93rd percentile for gross weekly revenue among Decatur, Illinois carriers. Performance Trucking Inc's FMCSA score is strongest on driver fitness — 99th percentile.
#3AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC — $2,600/wk
AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data. AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC runs a guaranteed-pay structure on the comp package.
For guaranteed weekly pay, AD EXPRESS TRUCKING LLC is the only top-10 Decatur, Illinois carrier offering it.
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.
Lane mix and benefits across Decatur, Illinois
The route mix in Decatur, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 10% regional, 89% OTR, 0% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Decatur, 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 Decatur, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Decatur, Illinois
- Best owner-operator companies in Illinois
Where this data comes from
Four weighted components. Compensation carries 30% and includes pay percentile, sign-on bonus tier, guaranteed-pay availability, and settlement frequency. FMCSA safety carries 25%, built from five SAFER dimensions. Benefits carry 25%, scored separately for W2 versus owner-operator carriers. Operational performance carries 20%, measuring application responsiveness and fleet scale. Updated May 2026.