Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Buffalo Grove, Illinois (November 2026)
Buffalo Grove, Illinois's W2 trucking market includes 454 active carriers as of November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. FW TRUCKING follows at $1,800/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 November 2026
McLeod Express LLC at #5, SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #9, and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #10 are new to the top 50 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#24 → #2), and True Transport Inc. (#18 → #4). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26) and Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. (#12 → #22). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 7 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Where CDL pay is strongest in Buffalo Grove, Illinois this month
The top of the list is Herrington Transportation Inc. at $2,000/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1Herrington Transportation Inc. — $2,000/wk
Herrington Transportation Inc. leads the Buffalo Grove, Illinois market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Herrington Transportation Inc. pays above the 87th percentile on weekly pay for the Buffalo Grove, Illinois market. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING climbed from #24 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 90th percentile.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC pays above the 88th percentile on weekly pay for the Buffalo Grove, Illinois market. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
For sign-on cash, HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC posts the largest bonus in Buffalo Grove, Illinois's top 10 at $10,000.
Also in the top 10: #4 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #5 McLeod Express LLC at $1,462/wk, #6 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #7 HandledNow LLC at $1,550/wk, #8 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #9 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #10 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk.
Lane mix and benefits across Buffalo Grove, Illinois
The route mix in Buffalo Grove, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 24% regional, 62% OTR, 11% local, 3% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 4% of Buffalo Grove, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 73%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 59% and riders-allowed at 59%.
Where Buffalo Grove, Illinois differs from the Illinois baseline
| Buffalo Grove, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 35% | 41% | -6 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 31% | 41% | -10 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 88% | 82% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Buffalo Grove, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on dedicated routes, 10 points below the state baseline.
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 Buffalo Grove, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Buffalo Grove, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
The methodology behind the 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 November 2026.