🗺 Location & Routes
- Base city: Joliet, IL
- Route type: Local home-daily drayage
- Freight: Import/export containers, retail distribution freight, industrial warehouse shipments, rail transfer containers
- Schedule: Rail-timed dispatch with multiple short drayage turns per shift
📋 Job Description
- Move international containers between Chicago rail ramps and Joliet warehouse zones
- Handle short-haul drayage cycles tied to rail arrival schedules
- Drop & hook chassis operations with sealed freight only
- Run repeat lanes through intermodal yards and industrial corridors
- Coordinate with dispatch on container availability windows
- Complete multiple container turns per shift depending on rail flow
✅ Requirements
CDL Class A
Valid CDL-A license required
Experience
6–12 months experience preferred
Age
Minimum 21 years old
MVR
Clean driving record, no major violations
Physical
Occasional chassis hookups and container securement checks
Endorsements
None required
🚛 Equipment & Fleet
- Truck assignment: Mixed intermodal rotation fleet
- Fleet average age: newer Cascadia units mixed with mid-cycle Volvo VNL trucks
- Features: GPS dispatch tracking, chassis systems, rail/port compliance setup
🏠 Home Time
- Home daily after dispatch cycle wraps
- Return timing depends on rail container release and yard flow
📍 Real Routes Our Drivers Take
- I-80: Joliet IL → Elwood intermodal zone → Chicago rail ramps
- I-55: Chicago south terminals → Joliet warehouse district → return loops
- I-294: Northwest Indiana ramps → Chicago industrial yards → Midwest DC corridors
🎁 Benefits & Bonus Structure
💰 Bonus Structure
📝 Hiring Process
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I actually get home on this drayage rotation?
Every shift ends at home base. You’re not staying out overnight, but timing depends on when containers clear rail ramps.
Do the miles stay steady or does it change day to day?
Miles stay short and consistent, but the number of turns can shift depending on container flow from Chicago terminals.
What kind of freight am I pulling most of the time?
Mostly import/export containers off rail ramps going into Joliet warehouses and nearby industrial yards.
Do I stay in one truck or rotate units?
You’ll usually stay in one assigned unit unless it goes into shop rotation or dispatch reassigns equipment.
How bad is the wait time at Chicago ramps?
It varies. Some days you’re in and out, other times rail congestion can slow turns down a bit.
Is the work repetitive or does it change?
It’s repetitive lanes, same corridors, just different container cycles coming off rail through the week.
📊 Local Market Insights
Most of the container flow in Joliet runs through the I-80 corridor, tying Chicago rail ramps into nearby warehouse zones and intermodal yards. You’ll see constant rotation between Elwood terminals and south Chicago industrial pockets, with freight cycling back and forth during the day. I-55 acts like the connector spine, feeding containers into Joliet distribution space. Wait times at ramps can shift the rhythm of the day more than distance itself, especially when rail unload timing stacks up.
🔗 CDL-A Container Port Drayage Driver – Joliet, IL (Chicago Import Network)
In Joliet, IL this CDL-A drayage setup runs tight around the Chicago intermodal system, where containers move off rail ramps and straight into warehouse corridors along I-80 and I-55. Most of the week is short-haul repetition — back and forth between Joliet yards, Elwood ramps, and nearby industrial receivers. It’s not long miles, it’s volume cycles. You’ll see multiple container turns per shift depending on rail timing, and the day can speed up or slow down based on how stacked the ramps get. This is local work, home daily, built around constant import/export flow. Pay lands in the $1,400–$1,950 range depending on turns, wait time, and how dispatch stacks your containers through the day.
🚀 Apply for This CDL-A Position
Complete the form below to apply for CDL-A Container Port Drayage Driver – Joliet, IL (Chicago Import Network) in Joliet, IL.
