Updated May 2026
Best Trucking Companies in Wheeling, Illinois (May 2026)
Lanefinder's index counts 461 active W2 trucking carriers in Wheeling, Illinois this May 2026. 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.
Wheeling, 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 Wheeling, Illinois market on combined pay and ranking score this month. The carrier ranks in the 96th percentile for weekly pay in Wheeling, Illinois. KEEP TRUCKING LLC ranks in the 88th percentile for controlled-substances compliance on FMCSA SAFER data. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
#2True Transport Inc. — $2,250/wk
True Transport Inc. pays above the 92nd percentile on weekly pay for the Wheeling, Illinois market. Strongest FMCSA dimension is unsafe-driving avoidance — 99th percentile. Application-response data flags this carrier as a responsive employer.
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 91st percentile on weekly pay for the Wheeling, 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 OMAHA TRACK INC at $2,000/wk, #6 Great Plains Trucking Inc. at $1,750/wk, #7 PRAIRIE FIELD SERVICES LLC at $1,750/wk, #8 PREMIER TRANSPORTATION at $1,700/wk, #9 CUSTOM COMMODITIES TRANSPORT at $1,750/wk, #10 Badger Express LLC at $1,700/wk.
What Wheeling, Illinois drivers actually run
23% of Wheeling, Illinois's active CDL postings are regional and 64% are OTR; local plus semi-local accounts for the rest (13%).
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Wheeling, Illinois postings; dedicated routes at 26%; take-truck-home at 74%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 59% and riders-allowed at 60%.
Where Wheeling, Illinois differs from the Illinois baseline
| Wheeling, Illinois | Illinois top 50 | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonus rate | 33% | 44% | -11 pt |
| Take-truck-home | 92% | 85% | +7 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, May 2026
Wheeling, Illinois's biggest divergence from Illinois is on sign-on bonus availability, 11 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 Wheeling, Illinois
- CDL driver salary in Wheeling, Illinois
- Best trucking companies in Illinois
Where this data comes from
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.