Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in DeKalb, Illinois (November 2026)
DeKalb, Illinois has 436 active W2 trucking carriers as of November 2026. The carriers ranked below are scored on real driver pay, FMCSA safety, benefits, and how they treat applicants. 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
SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at #9 is new to the top 50 in DeKalb, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#21 → #2), and True Transport Inc. (#16 → #5). Biggest fall: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26). Elsewhere in the top 50, 6 carriers joined, 7 left, 37 changed rank, and 1 changed pay or benefits.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #38 | #1 | Up 37 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #21 | #2 | Up 19 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | #11 | #3 | Up 8 placesweekly pay down 1.9% ($1,550 → $1,520) |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #16 | #5 | Up 11 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #4 | #6 | Down 2 places |
| HandledNow LLC | #3 | #7 | Down 4 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #5 | #8 | Down 3 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #6 | #10 | Down 4 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #13 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #14 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #7 | #15 | Down 8 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #8 | #16 | Down 8 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #9 | #17 | Down 8 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #10 | #18 | Down 8 places |
| Nationwide Rail Services | #14 | #19 | Down 5 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #13 | #20 | Down 7 places |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #18 | #23 | Down 5 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #22 | #24 | Down 2 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #20 | #25 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #26 | Down 25 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #26 | #27 | Down 1 place |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #25 | #28 | Down 3 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #24 | #29 | Down 5 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #29 | #30 | Down 1 place |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #27 | #31 | Down 4 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #30 | #32 | Down 2 places |
| A & H INC | #34 | #33 | Up 1 place |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #34 | New |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #33 | #35 | Down 2 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #32 | #36 | Down 4 places |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #31 | #37 | Down 6 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #36 | #38 | Down 2 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #39 | New |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #37 | #40 | Down 3 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #39 | #41 | Down 2 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #40 | #42 | Down 2 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #42 | #43 | Down 1 place |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #41 | #44 | Down 3 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #43 | #45 | Down 2 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| KENNEDY TRANSPORTATION INC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #47 | #49 | Down 2 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #12 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #28 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #35 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #45 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Where CDL pay is strongest in DeKalb, 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 DeKalb, Illinois market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Herrington Transportation Inc. pays above the 86th percentile on weekly pay for the DeKalb, Illinois market. Lanefinder's application data flags Herrington Transportation Inc. as a responsive employer.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING climbed from #21 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in DeKalb, Illinois. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 90th percentile.
#3McLeod Express LLC — $1,520/wk
McLeod Express LLC climbed from #11 to #3 this month — one of the biggest moves in DeKalb, Illinois. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 94th percentile. McLeod Express LLC runs a guaranteed-pay structure on the comp package.
Long-haul drivers who want a guaranteed paycheck: McLeod Express LLC is the only DeKalb, Illinois top-10 carrier offering it on OTR runs.
Also in the top 10: #4 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $2,100/wk, #5 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/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 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in DeKalb, Illinois
23% of DeKalb, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 65% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (12%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 4% of DeKalb, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 75%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 62%.
How DeKalb, Illinois compares to Illinois
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 November 2026.