Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Rock Island, Illinois (May 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 388 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Rock Island, Illinois. Rankings below reflect May 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. 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.
How Rock Island, Illinois compares to Illinois
| Rock Island, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 35% | 44% | -9 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 79% | 69% | +10 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 85% | +7 pt |
| Guaranteed pay | 10% | 4% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Rock Island, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on riders-allowed policies, 10 points above the state baseline.
Rock Island, Illinois's top trucking carriers right now
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 leads the Rock Island, Illinois market on combined pay and ranking score this month. The carrier ranks in the 95th percentile for weekly pay in Rock Island, Illinois. KEEP TRUCKING LLC ranks in the 88th percentile for controlled-substances compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. KEEP TRUCKING LLC tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Rock Island, Illinois market. Top FMCSA dimension here is unsafe-driving avoidance, in the 99th percentile. True Transport Inc. tracks as a responsive employer on application-response data.
For pure pay maximization, True Transport Inc. beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $2,250.
#3JK MOVING & STORAGE INC — $2,200/wk
JK MOVING & STORAGE INC pays above the 90th percentile on weekly pay for the Rock Island, Illinois market. 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 JS HELWIG & SON LLC at $1,850/wk, #10 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Rock Island, Illinois
The route mix in Rock Island, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 21% regional, 75% OTR, 2% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Rock Island, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 24%; take-truck-home at 82%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 66% and riders-allowed at 67%.
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 Rock Island, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Rock Island, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
How we compile these rankings
Rankings combine four signals: compensation (30%) including pay percentile, sign-on bonuses, guaranteed pay, and settlement frequency; FMCSA safety (25%); benefits (25%) scored differently for W2 vs owner-operator carriers; and operational performance (20%) measuring employer responsiveness and fleet scale. Recomputed monthly from real active job postings. Updated May 2026.