Updated July 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Waukegan, Illinois (July 2026)
Lanefinder is tracking 448 W2 trucking carriers in Waukegan, Illinois (July 2026). LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads with an average weekly pay of $1,680. Forest Brook Trucking LLC follows at $1,600/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 July 2026
We just started tracking monthly changes for this view. Check back next month to see how rankings have shifted.
The trucking companies leading Waukegan, Illinois this month
The top of the list is LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY at $1,680/week. A few names below the top earn more on a weekly-pay basis but rank lower on the composite.
#1LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY — $1,680/wk
LAWRENCE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY leads the Waukegan, Illinois market on combined pay and ranking score this month. Strongest FMCSA dimension is driver fitness — 91st percentile. The carrier tracks as a responsive employer on Lanefinder's data.
#2Forest Brook Trucking LLC — $1,600/wk
Forest Brook Trucking LLC ranks in the 97th percentile for hours-of-service compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#3True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Waukegan, Illinois market. True Transport Inc. ranks in the 99th percentile for unsafe-driving avoidance on FMCSA SAFER data.
For pure pay maximization, True Transport Inc. beats the #1-ranked carrier weekly at $2,250.
Also in the top 10: #4 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,950/wk, #5 JK MOVING & STORAGE INC at $2,200/wk, #6 Covenant Transport Inc at $1,762/wk, #7 South East Carriers INC at $1,600/wk, #8 OMAHA TRACK INC at $2,000/wk, #9 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #10 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/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 26%; 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 | 29% | 40% | -11 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 83% | +9 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, July 2026
The largest gap is on sign-on bonus availability: Waukegan, Illinois sits 11 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 July 2026.