Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Urbana, Illinois (November 2026)
Urbana, Illinois has 400 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. McLeod Express LLC follows at $1,550/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 Urbana, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#23 → #3), and McLeod Express LLC (#15 → #2). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #29) and Badger Express LLC (#9 → #20). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 7 left, and 37 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
Urbana, 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 Urbana, Illinois this month on the composite ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 90th percentile for weekly pay among Urbana, Illinois carriers. Lanefinder's application data flags Herrington Transportation Inc. as a responsive employer.
#2McLeod Express LLC — $1,550/wk
McLeod Express LLC rose 13 positions month-over-month, from #15 to #2. McLeod Express LLC ranks in the 94th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data. The comp package includes a guaranteed-pay structure — useful when freight slows.
McLeod Express LLC is the lone Urbana, Illinois top-10 carrier offering OTR work with a guaranteed weekly wage.
#3FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING rose 20 positions month-over-month, from #23 to #3. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
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 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #8 SAFE WAY CARRIER LLC at $2,100/wk, #9 HandledNow LLC at $1,550/wk, #10 MNS1 EXPRESS INC at $2,050/wk.
How drivers spend their time on the road in Urbana, Illinois
The route mix in Urbana, Illinois this month tilts OTR: 23% regional, 73% OTR, 2% local, 1% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 4% of Urbana, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 82%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 66% and riders-allowed at 67%.
Urbana, Illinois vs Illinois: the numbers that diverge
| Urbana, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated routes | 33% | 41% | -8 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 88% | 82% | +6 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
The largest gap is on dedicated routes: Urbana, Illinois sits 8 points below the Illinois 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 Urbana, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Urbana, 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.