Updated November 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Waukegan, Illinois (November 2026)
Lanefinder is tracking 449 W2 trucking carriers in Waukegan, Illinois (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 Waukegan, Illinois. Biggest climbs: Herrington Transportation Inc. (#38 → #1), FW TRUCKING (#22 → #2), and True Transport Inc. (#16 → #4). Biggest falls: LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY (#1 → #26) and Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. (#13 → #23). Elsewhere in the top 50, 5 carriers joined, 8 left, and 36 changed rank.
All changes since October 2026
| Carrier | Last month | This month | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herrington Transportation Inc. | #38 | #1 | Up 37 places |
| FW TRUCKING | #22 | #2 | Up 20 places |
| HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC | #2 | #3 | Down 1 place |
| True Transport Inc. | #16 | #4 | Up 12 places |
| McLeod Express LLC | Not ranked | #5 | New |
| 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 |
| ARKA EXPRESS INC | Not ranked | #16 | New |
| PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC | #9 | #17 | Down 8 places |
| Badger Express LLC | #10 | #18 | Down 8 places |
| CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT | #11 | #19 | Down 8 places |
| C & G TRANSPORTATION INC | #12 | #20 | Down 8 places |
| JS HELWIG & SON LLC | #14 | #21 | Down 7 places |
| G & C FOOD DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS INC | #15 | #22 | Down 7 places |
| Diaz Stone & Pallet Inc. | #13 | #23 | Down 10 places |
| G-DIAMOND TRANSPORT INC | #17 | #24 | Down 7 places |
| MC CARRIER LLC | #19 | #25 | Down 6 places |
| LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY | #1 | #26 | Down 25 places |
| ALBA TRANS INC | #18 | #27 | Down 9 places |
| ELBERTA LOGISTICS INTERNATIONAL LLC | #20 | #28 | Down 8 places |
| HOLLAND ENTERPRISES INC | #26 | #29 | Down 3 places |
| SUMMERFORD TRUCK LINE INC | #28 | #30 | Down 2 places |
| KEN GRAHAM TRUCKING INC | #25 | #31 | Down 6 places |
| CYCLE LOGISTICS INC | #24 | #32 | Down 8 places |
| RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC | #27 | #33 | Down 6 places |
| KAISER TRANSPORT INC | #30 | #34 | Down 4 places |
| A & H INC | #34 | #35 | Down 1 place |
| Wynne Transport Service | Not ranked | #36 | New |
| AFC Transport, Inc | #32 | #37 | Down 5 places |
| PASCAL CARRIER INC | #33 | #38 | Down 5 places |
| EA EXPRESS LLC | #36 | #39 | Down 3 places |
| BARTELS TRUCK LINE INC | #37 | #40 | Down 3 places |
| CARGORX DRY CAPACITY | #40 | #41 | Down 1 place |
| LUCKY WORLD INC | Not ranked | #42 | New |
| Bertch Cabinet LLC | #39 | #43 | Down 4 places |
| GURTLER INDUSTRIES INC | #41 | #44 | Down 3 places |
| CJC CARRIER LLC | #43 | #45 | Down 2 places |
| TDR TRANSPORT | #44 | #46 | Down 2 places |
| KENNEDY TRANSPORTATION INC | #46 | #47 | Down 1 place |
| SEMO EXPRESS LLC | #47 | #48 | Down 1 place |
| Bakers Express | #48 | #49 | Down 1 place |
| BRADY TRUCKING INC | #21 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| H & M TRUCKING INC | #23 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| WILLIAMS PRESTIGE ENTERPRISE | #29 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| Alco Transportation Inc | #31 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| AN ENTERPRISE INC | #35 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| RAPID RESPONSE, INC. | #42 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| CTK LOGISTICS LLC | #45 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
| EAGLE EYE TRUCK LINES LLC | #49 | Not ranked | Dropped out |
The trucking companies leading Waukegan, 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. is number-one in Waukegan, Illinois this month on the composite ranking. Herrington Transportation Inc. sits in the 91st percentile for weekly pay among Waukegan, Illinois carriers. Driver applications get a faster-than-median response in Waukegan, Illinois.
#2FW TRUCKING — $1,800/wk
FW TRUCKING rose 20 positions month-over-month, from #22 to #2. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 90th percentile.
#3HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC — $2,100/wk
HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC sits in the 93rd percentile for weekly pay among Waukegan, Illinois carriers. HAZMAT ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP INC's top FMCSA dimension is hours-of-service compliance, in the 99th percentile.
The top sign-on bonus in Waukegan, 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 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 Waukegan, Illinois
24% of Waukegan, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 64% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (12%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 3% of Waukegan, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 74%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 60% and riders-allowed at 60%.
Where Waukegan, Illinois differs from the Illinois baseline
| Waukegan, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 35% | 41% | -6 pt |
| 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: Waukegan, 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 Waukegan, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Waukegan, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
Where this data comes from
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.