Truck driving in Illinois
Whether Chicago is your "kind of town" or not, you'll find plenty of carriers serving smaller cities and rural areas in "The Land of Lincoln." Of course, if you can tolerate Chicago, you'll have a lot more opportunities as the city borders the Great Lakes, and Chicago is a major freshwater port serving the Central U.S. And while trains once dominated freight transport to and from Chicago and Illinois, trucks picked up the slack trains left behind. In fact, in terms of exports, Illinois ranks as the sixth busiest state in the U.S. and the only of the top 10 states without direct access to a seaport. Like it's Midwest neighbors, Illinois exports many products — the proof of the pudding being that light petroleum oils, the state's major export, only makes up 3.2% of total products hauled out of state. It's likely that Illinois is already on your mind if you're looking to start driving or relocate. Just take care driving across those Chicago overpasses. If the wind catches your rig just right, you may wind up in Kansas!
Geographic Advantages
Other than its location in the center of the country, the primary advantage for those with truck driver jobs in Illinois is the fact the state his home to the third largest city in the U.S. — Chicago. Chicago and its surrounding area produce many products, and south of Chicago are numerous other cities including Springfield, Peoria, Decatur, and just over the state line, St. Louis.
Bordering States/Countries
Illinois is bordered by Wisconsin and Lake Michigan to the north, Indiana and Kentucky to the east, and Missouri and Iowa to the west. Its western boundary is formed by the Mississippi River.
As the economy experiences is ups and downs, Illinois, with Chicago as its primary city has many consumers in need of life’s necessities. Cross country routes offer access to Chicago, making Illinois one of the Midwest’s most plentiful states when it comes to the seeking truck driver jobs.
Illinois Ports
While the Mississippi River offers Illinois some ports, the Port of Chicago is by far the largest and most important in the state. While it is a long distance, ships leaving Chicago can travel through the Great Lakes and actually reach the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of St. Lawrence. With the time involved in shipping by vessels, however, it is much faster and less expensive to send products headed eastward via truck.
Products Moved by Trucks
When it comes to truck driver jobs, Illinois offers a variety of industries in which a driver can specialize. Whether products are exported out of state, out of the country, or simply remain in the state for the use of those living in Idaho, according to the latest data from World’s Top Exports, the following are the primary products moved by truck drivers and offering many truck driving jobs to those calling Illinois home:
- Light petroleum oils
- Antisera, other blood fractions
- Off-highway dumper trucks
- Miscellaneous medications
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices
- Cell phones
- Aircraft including engines, parts
- Corn
- Miscellaneous motor vehicle parts
- Soya beans
Illinois Highways
Interstate routes across Illinois include the east to west coast connecting I-80, I-88 from Chicago to Davenport, I-90 from Chicago to Rockford, I-70 from Indianapolis to St. Louis, and I-57 connecting Chicago to I-70. Southern Illinois is crossed by I-64 leading from Louisville to St. Louis, and numerous auxiliary interstate highways surround larger cities within the state.
For more information on Illinois and its truck driver jobs, visit www.iltrucking.org
Job search faqs
GoTruckers.com is one of the leading sources for truck driving and diesel mechanic job listings, and its primary objective is to connect professional drivers and mechanics with jobs. GoTruckers.com’s job search functionality is designed to be simple and easy to use, and allows you to search for jobs by state, by carrier and various other search criteria.
Once you apply for a job, we match your qualifications to the appropriate job listings and send your application to the hiring companies immediately.
GoTruckers.com’s job search functionality is designed to be simple and easy to use, and allows truck drivers and diesel mechanics to search for jobs by state, by carrier and various other search criteria. When searching for jobs, you may set the search criteria to be as specific or general as you want to find the job that is best for you.
GoTruckers.com adds and updates job listings immediately as new truck driving and diesel mechanic job listings are received. So it is best to visit GoTruckers.com regularly for updated job listings when in the market for a new truck driving or diesel mechanic job.
No! Drivers and mechanics may access job listings, job resources and submit job applications on GoTruckers.com free of charge using their phone, desktop or any other device.
Yes! We encourage you to apply for all jobs that you have an interest and that match your qualifications. Applying for multiple jobs increases your chances of finding the best job for you.
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GoTruckers.com processes job applications immediately and automatically sends driver and mechanic applications to the hiring company once we confirm your qualifications meet the job requirements.
Companies' response time may vary based on the urgency of their hiring needs, the number applications the comppany receives and the resources dedicated to processing applications. Applicants increase their chances of being contacted by applying to all jobs that meet their qualifications.
Carrier may or may not respond to all applications depending on their hiring policies, procedures and driver needs. And, it is possible that a carrier will not respond to applicants if their experience does not match the hiring requirements. Applicants will increase their chances of being contacted by carriers by applying to all jobs that meet their qualifications.
To apply for all jobs that meet your qualifications, Click Here.
Along with all truck driving and diesel mechanic job listings, GoTruckers.com provides information about all carriers offering jobs in the carrier’s information page. Each carrier’s information page is accessible from the each individual job listing, and from the "Carriers List" in the "Resource" drop down.
A commercial driver's license (CDL) is a driver's license required to operate large, heavy, or hazardous material vehicles in the US. The “class” of CDL a truck driver needs depends on the type of commercial motor vehicle operated. A truck driver may hold a CDL in one of three classes: Class A, Class B, and Class C.
For a detailed explanation of the different classes of CDLs, visit Truck Driving Job Resources.
Driver Type refers to the employment arrangement a driver operates. The most common truck driver arrangements include:
- Company Driver: Drivers employed by a specific carrier with its own fleet of trucks. “Companies” can be carriers that contract to transport other individuals' or companies' freight, or companies that carry their own freight.
- Lease-Purchase: Drivers hired by carriers where the truck is leased to the individual driver.
- Owner Operator (OO): Drivers who own the truck and operate as an independent business (also referred to as an "independent contractor").
- Team Driver: Drivers operating with a partner who shares driving duties.
For a detailed explanation of Driver Types, visit Truck Driving Job Resources.
Hauling Type (or trailer type, or equipment type) refers to the type of cargo being hauled. Different types of cargo materials require different types of trailers, and each type of trailer requires unique driver experience.
For a detailed explanation of Hauling Types, visit Truck Driving Job Resources.
Endorsements are required certifications for CDL holders hauling various types of equipment and freight. The most common endorsements for long haul truck drivers include:
- Doubles/Triples: required for drivers hauling double or triple trailers.
- HazMat: required for transporting hazardous materials.
- Tanker: required for operating a vehicles designed with a permanent or temporary tank attached.
For a detailed explanation of the different types of endorsements, visit Truck Driving Job Resources.
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Finding the right diesel mechanic job requires careful consideration of various factors. Research potential employers’ reputation and culture, evaluate compensation packages, and confirm that long-term growth and advancement opportunities fit with your career goals. Other factors to consider include: your own level of experience, skill and industry specialization vs the job requirements; CDL license requirements; tool requirements; location; training and professional development opportunity; work schedule, flexibility and work-life balance. For key considerations for finding a job as a heavy-duty truck diesel mechanic or technician, visit our Diesel Mechanic Job Resources.
Diesel mechanic certifications represent an industry recognized level of knowledge and expertise in a particular area of diesel engine diagnosis, repair or maintenance. These advanced certifications are offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and enhance a mechanic’s skill set and positively impact their qualifications and salary. Certifications may be obtained in specific areas such as gasoline and diesel engines, drive trains, brakes, suspension and steering, electronics, HVAC and preventative maintenance. For a listing of ASE certifications available specifically for heavy-duty truck mechanics, visit our Diesel Mechanic Job Resources.