Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in DeKalb, Illinois (May 2026)
DeKalb, Illinois has 442 active W2 trucking carriers as of May 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. KEEP TRUCKING LLC leads with an average weekly pay of $2,200. True Transport Inc. follows at $2,250/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 May 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 DeKalb, Illinois this month
The top of the list is KEEP TRUCKING LLC at $2,200/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1KEEP TRUCKING LLC — $2,200/wk
KEEP TRUCKING LLC tops the DeKalb, Illinois ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Weekly pay here lands in the 95th percentile across DeKalb, Illinois. KEEP TRUCKING LLC ranks in the 88th percentile for controlled-substances compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the DeKalb, Illinois market. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
Despite ranking below #1, True Transport Inc. outpays the leader on weekly average — $2,250/week.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC sits in the 95th percentile for weekly pay among DeKalb, Illinois carriers. JK MOVING & STORAGE INC's FMCSA score is strongest on unsafe-driving avoidance — 94th percentile.
Also in the top 10: #4 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #5 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #6 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #7 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,700/wk, #8 CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT at $1,750/wk, #9 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk, #10 KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC at $2,000/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in DeKalb, Illinois
22% of DeKalb, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 67% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (11%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of DeKalb, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 77%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 61% and riders-allowed at 62%.
How DeKalb, Illinois compares to Illinois
| DeKalb, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 38% | 44% | -6 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 75% | 69% | +6 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 85% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
DeKalb, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on sign-on bonus availability, 6 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 DeKalb, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in DeKalb, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
How we compile these rankings
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.