Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Rock Island, Illinois (November 2026)
Lanefinder tracks 384 W2 trucking carriers hiring in Rock Island, Illinois. Rankings below reflect November 2026 data: pay percentiles, FMCSA safety, benefit prevalence, and operational performance. 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 #8 and MNS1 EXPRESS INC at #9 are new to the top 50 in Rock Island, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#35 → #1) and FW TRUCKING (#21 → #2). Biggest fall: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 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. | #35 | #1 | Up 34 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #21 | #2 | Up 19 places |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #2 | #3 | Down 1 place |
| McLeod Express LLC | #12 | #4 | Up 8 placesweekly pay down 1.9% ($1,550 → $1,520) |
| True Transport Inc. | #13 | #5 | Up 8 places |
| PREMIER TRANSPORTATION | #3 | #6 | Down 3 places |
| JK MOVING & STORAGE INC | #4 | #7 | Down 3 places |
| SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC | Not ranked | #8 | New |
| MNS1 EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #9 | New |
| Covenant Transport Inc | #5 | #10 | Down 5 places |
| Mountain States L.P. Gas | Not ranked | #11 | New |
| DICK LAVY TRUCKING | Not ranked | #12 | New |
| Great Plains Trucking Inc. | #6 | #13 | Down 7 places |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #7 | #14 | Down 7 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #8 | #15 | Down 7 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #9 | #16 | Down 7 places |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #17 | New |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #10 | #18 | Down 8 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #11 | #19 | Down 8 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #15 | #20 | Down 5 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #14 | #21 | Down 7 places |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #17 | #22 | Down 5 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #16 | #23 | Down 7 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #18 | #24 | Down 6 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #20 | #25 | Down 5 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #26 | Down 25 places |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #23 | #27 | Down 4 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #24 | #28 | Down 4 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #28 | #29 | Down 1 place |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #27 | #30 | Down 3 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #26 | #32 | Down 6 places |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #33 | New |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #29 | #35 | Down 6 places |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #32 | #37 | Down 5 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #38 | #39 | Down 1 place |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #40 | New |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #34 | #41 | Down 7 places |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #37 | #42 | Down 5 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #39 | #43 | Down 4 places |
| HUTCHINSON TRUCKING LLC | #40 | #44 | Down 4 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #42 | #45 | Down 3 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #43 | #46 | Down 3 places |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #44 | #47 | Down 3 places |
| Bakers Express | #45 | #48 | Down 3 places |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #46 | #49 | Down 3 places |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #19 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #22 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #25 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #41 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #47 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| S & R TRANSPORTATION LLC | #48 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| National Express Carriers | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
Rock Island, 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. is number-one in Rock Island, Illinois this month on the composite ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc. pays above the 85th percentile on weekly pay for the Rock Island, Illinois market. Herrington Transportation Inc. responds to driver applications more reliably than the Rock Island, Illinois median.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING climbed from #21 to #2 this month — one of the biggest moves in Rock Island, Illinois. FW TRUCKING ranks in the 90th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC pays above the 87th percentile on weekly pay for the Rock Island, Illinois market. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 99th percentile.
The top sign-on bonus in Rock Island, Illinois's top 10 is HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's — $10,000.
Also in the top 10: #4 McLeod Express LLC at $1,520/wk, #5 True Transport Inc. at $2,250/wk, #6 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #7 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #8 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #9 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk, #10 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Rock Island, Illinois
The route mix in Rock Island, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 22% regional, 73% OTR, 4% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Rock Island, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 25%; take-truck-home at 80%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 65% and riders-allowed at 66%.
How Rock Island, Illinois compares to Illinois
| Rock Island, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 35% | 41% | -6 pt |
| Dedicated routes | 31% | 41% | -10 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 82% | +8 pt |
| Riders-allowed policies | 78% | 73% | +5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Rock Island, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on dedicated routes, 10 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 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 November 2026.