Dedicated Retail Position Company Driver
CDL-A Dedicated Retail Distribution Driver — Joliet, IL
Recruiting Area: Joliet, Elwood, Romeoville, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Shorewood & surrounding • Terminal: Joliet, IL 60431
Joliet, IL Regional Dedicated 2020–2025 Tractors
Dedicated multi-stop retail distribution from Joliet using roller-equipped dry vans. Drivers typically earn $1,400–$2,300 weekly (around $97,600 annualized) with multiple returns to the Joliet yard each week and a scheduled 34-hour reset.
Weekly Gross Range
$1,400–$2,300
Typical / Annual: ≈ $1,900 / ≈ $97,600
Sign-On Bonus $1,000
Home Time Multiple yard returns + 34-hr reset
Driver Type Full-Time Company Driver
Weekly Miles 800–1,050
Freight Type Packaged Retail Merchandise
Packaged consumer merchandise moves from Joliet-area distribution facilities to retail stores across Illinois and nearby Midwest states. Drivers run sequenced multi-stop loads on 53-foot dry vans fitted with roller conveyor systems and perform the physical unloading to the store transfer point.
- Complete approximately three loaded multi-stop runs during a five-day work week.
- Physically unload cartons via gravity rollers to the designated transfer point at each store.
- Check in with receiving, reconcile counts, document exceptions, and secure POD.
- Accept assigned backhauls when available and hours of service allow.
- Work a structured dedicated account instead of random truckload freight.
- Report equipment defects and receiving delays immediately to protect the remaining schedule.
Pay combines $0.85 per paid mile with activity payments: $250 for each qualifying completed delivery run, $20 for each completed retail stop, and $60 for each qualifying backhaul. The $250 run payment is paid once per eligible multi-stop run, not per individual store.
Weekly Gross Range $1,400–$2,300
Typical Weekly / Annual ≈ $1,900 / ≈ $97,600
Mileage $0.85 CPM
Delivery Run Pay $250 per qualifying completed multi-stop run
Stop Pay $20 per completed retail stop
Backhaul Pay $60 per qualifying completed backhaul
Sign-On Bonus $1,000 ($250 at 30 days / $250 at 90 days / $500 at 180 days)
Example weekly models (gross before deductions):
Conservative (800 mi + 2 runs + 8 stops + 1 backhaul) → ≈ $1,400
Typical (950 mi + 3 runs + 10 stops + 2 backhauls) → ≈ $1,877–$1,900
High-volume (1,050 mi + 4 runs + 12 stops + 3 backhauls) → ≈ $2,300
Work Week Five operating days (Mon–Fri or Tue–Sat possible)
Home Time Most runs return to Joliet yard same day; multiple yard returns during the week + scheduled 34-hour reset
Overnight Stays Occasional on extended regional lanes only
Reporting Location Joliet, IL 60431 company yard (tractors remain at yard)
Weekly Miles 800–1,050 paid miles (typical ≈ 950)
Dispatch Window Generally 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM
Tractors Freightliner Cascadia (primarily 2021–2025) & International LT (primarily 2020–2024) sleeper tractors
Transmission Predominantly automatic
Trailers 53-ft dry vans (2019–2025) with trailer-mounted roller conveyor systems and swing doors
Safety Systems Collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, forward-facing cameras on equipped units
Assignment Assigned tractor when scheduling permits; slip seating during maintenance or coverage
Air-ride suspension, tandem-axle configuration, ELD and GPS dispatch. Drivers inspect roller systems before every unloading and report any damage or obstruction immediately. Tractors stay at the Joliet yard; no take-home privilege.
Loads consist of packaged household products, paper goods, shelf-stable grocery items, personal care products and seasonal merchandise. Trailers leave Joliet-area warehouses already sequenced by store delivery order.
- Primary same-day lanes: Joliet–Rockford (I-55 / I-80 / I-39), Joliet–Milwaukee (I-55 / I-294 / I-94), Joliet–Peoria (I-55 / I-74), Joliet–South Bend (I-80 / I-90)
- Extended regional lanes: Joliet–Madison (I-90 / I-39), Joliet–Indianapolis (I-80 / I-65), Joliet–Davenport (I-80)
- Occasional longer runs: Joliet–Grand Rapids (I-80 / I-94 / I-196) — more likely to require overnight parking
- Typical run carries 3–4 retail stops; weekly total normally falls between 9–12 stops across three loaded runs
- Actual assignments depend on inventory needs, receiving windows and available hours of service
- Arrive at Joliet yard, complete pre-trip inspection, and receive the sequenced trailer and delivery list.
- Depart on the first multi-stop run (usually 3–4 stores) via I-55 or I-80 corridors.
- At each store: check in with receiving, position the trailer, inspect rollers, and physically move cartons to the transfer point.
- Reconcile quantities, record any shortages or damage, obtain POD, then continue to the next appointment.
- Return to the Joliet area after the final stop or accept an assigned backhaul when available.
- On longer corridors, park legally overnight if hours of service or receiving windows prevent a same-day return.
- Complete remaining runs during the week, park equipment at the yard, and take the scheduled 34-hour reset.
About the Carrier
Steady retail replenishment requires carriers that can deliver sequenced merchandise to individual stores within tight receiving windows. Operations built around roller-equipped dry vans and multi-stop dispatch fill that role by linking regional distribution centers with store networks across the Midwest. The Joliet base sits at the I-55 / I-80 junction inside one of the region’s densest warehouse corridors, allowing five-day cycles of highway running mixed with physical store deliveries. The work is recurring and appointment-driven rather than random long-haul freight, which shapes both the equipment and the weekly rhythm for drivers on the account.
Medical Employer-sponsored medical coverage options for eligible employees
Dental & Vision Separate coverage options available through the benefits package
Retirement 401(k) plan with employer matching component under plan terms
Paid Time Off Accrued PTO for eligible employees
Training Paid orientation, roller-conveyor instruction, and supervised ride-along
- Valid Class A CDL
- Minimum 12 months verifiable tractor-trailer experience
- Acceptable MVR and verifiable employment history
- Current DOT medical card; successful completion of required drug and alcohol testing
- Ability to repeatedly lift, push and move cartons during roller-assisted unloading
- Ability to manage multiple store appointments and early-morning dispatch times
- Professional communication with warehouse and store receiving personnel
- Chicago-area traffic congestion on I-55, I-80 and I-294 during peak periods
- Store receiving staff or dock availability delays after on-time arrival
- Warehouse trailer release or live-loading delays at distribution facilities
- Damaged or obstructed roller systems that must be reported before unloading
- Seasonal volume increases around holidays and major promotional periods
- Hours-of-service limits after extended multi-stop unloading days
1
Application
Submit CDL and experience details
2
Recruiter Screen
Review schedule, pay structure and physical demands
3
Qualification & Compliance
MVR, Clearinghouse query, drug test
4
Offer & Orientation
Paid training and first dispatch
Q: How physical is the unloading? ▼
Drivers perform the physical unloading. Cartons are moved along the trailer’s gravity roller system to the designated transfer point. Store employees normally take responsibility for merchandise beyond that point. The work involves repeated lifting, pushing and walking inside the trailer.
Q: How often do drivers stay out overnight? ▼
Most runs return to the Joliet yard the same day. Overnight parking occurs only on longer regional lanes when distance or receiving windows make a same-day return impractical.
Q: Can the tractor be taken home? ▼
No. Company tractors and trailers remain at the Joliet yard. Drivers arrange their own transportation to and from the reporting location.
Q: How many stops occur on a typical run? ▼
Most loaded runs include 3–4 retail stops. Across three runs in a normal week the total is usually 9–12 stops.
Q: Is prior roller-conveyor experience required? ▼
It is preferred but not required. New drivers receive paid roller training and a supervised ride-along before running solo.
Q: What if a store refuses product or reports a shortage? ▼
Document the issue accurately with notes and photos if required, then contact dispatch for instructions before leaving the location.
The Joliet–Elwood corridor is one of the densest trucking employment areas in the Midwest. Dedicated retail distribution, regional dry-van carriers, LTL operations, intermodal providers and private warehouse fleets all recruit Class A drivers. Competition is steady because many of these roles require multi-stop experience, customer interaction and willingness to perform physical unloading. Local and short-regional positions that return drivers to a fixed yard several times per week remain common, while longer regional and specialized equipment jobs provide additional options. Seasonal retail peaks and ongoing e-commerce volume keep demand active through most of the year. Drivers evaluating opportunities in this market typically compare home-time frequency, activity-based pay components, and the physical demands of each account rather than mileage rates alone.
Joliet sits at the junction of I-55 and I-80, giving direct highway access to Chicago, central Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. The large CenterPoint Intermodal complex in the Joliet–Elwood area combines extensive warehouse space with BNSF and Union Pacific rail connections, supporting high volumes of consumer goods moving into and out of regional distribution centers. Retail distribution and e-commerce fulfillment operations concentrate here because the interstate network reaches major Midwest population centers within a single driver’s day. Holiday inventory builds, back-to-school periods and promotional cycles create predictable spikes in outbound retail freight, while quieter periods shift toward inventory balancing and inter-facility transfers. The mix of warehouse density, interstate connectivity and nearby retail markets sustains consistent demand for multi-stop dry-van work based in the Joliet area.