Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Des Plaines, Illinois (November 2026)
459 W2 trucking carriers are currently posting jobs in Des Plaines, Illinois 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 #8, and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #10 are new to the top 50 in Des Plaines, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#24 → #2), and True Transport Inc. (#17 → #4). Biggest fall: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 7 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
The trucking companies leading Des Plaines, 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. tops the Des Plaines, Illinois ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Pay sits above the 86th percentile in the Des Plaines, Illinois market. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Des Plaines, Illinois median.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING is up from #24 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Des Plaines, Illinois ranking. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's weekly pay ranks in the 93rd percentile across Des Plaines, Illinois. On hours-of-service compliance, the carrier ranks in the 99th percentile per FMCSA SAFER data.
The top sign-on bonus in Des Plaines, Illinois's top 10 is HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's — $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 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #9 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #10 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Des Plaines, Illinois
Of active CDL postings in Des Plaines, Illinois this month, 24% are regional and 62% are OTR (long-haul). Local and semi-local routes account for the remaining 14%.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Des Plaines, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 72%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 58% and riders-allowed at 59%.
How Des Plaines, Illinois compares to Illinois
| Des Plaines, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 35% | 41% | -6 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 31% | 41% | -10 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, dedicated routes is where Des Plaines, Illinois differs most from Illinois — 10 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 Des Plaines, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Des Plaines, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
The methodology behind the rankings
Carriers are scored against carriers in their own market. The composite is 30% compensation (pay + bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement cadence), 25% FMCSA safety, 25% benefits (W2 vs owner-op scoring), and 20% operational performance (responsiveness + fleet scale). No paid placement — the weights are the same for every carrier in the index. Updated November 2026.