Updated September 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Arlington Heights, Illinois (September 2026)
Arlington Heights, Illinois, September 2026: 461 active W2 trucking carriers. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC leads with an average weekly pay of $1,700 and an average $5,000 sign-on bonus. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,750/week. 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 September 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
Where CDL pay is strongest in Arlington Heights, Illinois this month
The top of the list is WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC at $1,700/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC — $1,700/wk
WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC is number-one in Arlington Heights, Illinois this month on the composite ranking. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 93rd percentile. WESTERN MOUNTAIN TRANSPORT INC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,750/wk
FW TRUCKING ranks in the 92nd percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's weekly pay ranks in the 94th percentile across Arlington Heights, Illinois. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's FMCSA score is strongest on hours-of-service compliance — 99th percentile.
For sign-on cash, HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC posts the largest bonus in Arlington Heights, Illinois's top 10 at $10,000.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 TDR TRANSPORT at $2,200/wk, #8 OMAHA TRACK INC at $2,000/wk, #9 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk.
What Arlington Heights, Illinois drivers actually run
24% of Arlington Heights, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 62% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (14%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 4% of Arlington Heights, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 73%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 59% and riders-allowed at 60%.
Arlington Heights, Illinois vs Illinois: the numbers that diverge
Among the figures above, sign-on bonus availability is where Arlington Heights, Illinois differs most from Illinois — 8 points below statewide.
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 owner-operator companies in Arlington Heights, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Arlington Heights, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
How we compile these rankings
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated September 2026.