Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Joliet, Illinois (November 2026)
For W2 company drivers in Joliet, Illinois, Lanefinder tracks 465 carriers as of November 2026. Herrington Transportation Inc. leads with an average weekly pay of $2,000. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,520/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 #8 and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #10 are new to the top 50 in Joliet, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#23 → #3), and True Transport Inc. (#18 → #5). Biggest fall: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #23). Elsewhere in the top 50, 4 carriers joined, 6 left, 36 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 |
| McLeod Express LLC | #12 | #2 | Up 10 placesweekly pay down 1.9% ($1,550 → $1,520) |
| FW TRUCKING | #23 | #3 | Up 20 places |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #2 | #4 | Down 2 places |
| True Transport Inc. | #18 | #5 | Up 13 places |
| HandledNow LLC | #3 | #6 | Down 3 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #5 | #9 | Down 4 places |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #10 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #6 | #11 | Down 5 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| OMAHA TRACK INC | #7 | #13 | Down 6 places |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #14 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #8 | #15 | Down 7 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #9 | #16 | Down 7 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #10 | #17 | Down 7 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #13 | #18 | Down 5 places |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #11 | #19 | Down 8 places |
| Nationwide Rail Services | #17 | #20 | Down 3 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #15 | #21 | Down 6 places |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #16 | #22 | Down 6 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #23 | Down 22 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #19 | #24 | Down 5 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #22 | #25 | Down 3 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #20 | #26 | Down 6 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #21 | #27 | Down 6 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #27 | #28 | Down 1 place |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #26 | #30 | Down 4 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #25 | #31 | Down 6 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #28 | #32 | Down 4 places |
| A & H INC | #35 | #33 | Up 2 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #34 | New |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #34 | #35 | Down 1 place |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #31 | #36 | Down 5 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #36 | #38 | Down 2 places |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #39 | New |
| TRANSPORT HOLDINGS LLC | #46 | #41 | Up 5 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #39 | #42 | Down 3 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 | #45 | #47 | Down 2 places |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #14 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #24 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #30 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #32 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #33 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Joliet, Illinois's top trucking carriers right now
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 Joliet, Illinois ranking with the strongest composite score across pay, safety, benefits, and operational signals. Pay sits above the 86th percentile in the Joliet, Illinois market. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Joliet, Illinois median.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,520/wk
McLeod Express LLC is up from #12 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Joliet, Illinois ranking. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 94th percentile. The comp package includes a guaranteed-pay structure — useful when freight slows.
Long-haul drivers who want a guaranteed paycheck: McLeod Express LLC is the only Joliet, Illinois top-10 carrier offering it on OTR runs.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING is up from #23 last month, one of the largest jumps in the Joliet, Illinois ranking. FW TRUCKING ranks in the 90th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
Also in the top 10: #4 HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC at $2,100/wk, #5 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #6 HandledNow LLC at $1,550/wk, #7 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/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 Joliet, Illinois
The route mix in Joliet, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 25% regional, 62% OTR, 11% local, 3% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Joliet, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 28%; take-truck-home at 73%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 59% and riders-allowed at 60%.
How Joliet, Illinois compares to Illinois
| Joliet, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 33% | 41% | -8 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 35% | 41% | -6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Among the figures above, sign-on bonus availability is where Joliet, 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 Joliet, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Joliet, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
The methodology behind the rankings
Compensation (30%): pay percentile + sign-on bonus + guaranteed pay + settlement frequency. FMCSA safety (25%): weighted percentile across vehicle maintenance, unsafe driving, hours-of-service, driver fitness, and controlled substances. Benefits (25%): hiring-type-aware. Operational (20%): driver-application responsiveness, modulated by fleet scale. Updated November 2026.