Regional CDL-A Position Dry Van
CDL-A Regional Midwest Dry Van Driver — Chicagoland Freight Network
Hiring Area: Approximately 50–75 miles of Joliet, IL • Terminal: Joliet, Illinois
Joliet, Illinois Regional Midwest 2020–2024 Equipment
From the Joliet terminal, regional dry-van drivers move general freight across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri and Ohio on weekly home schedules, typically spending 1–2 nights out and earning $1,550–$1,950 normal weekly gross with $91,000 at typical pay.
Normal Weekly Gross
$1,550–$1,950
Estimated Annual at Typical Gross: $91,000
Sign-On Bonus $1,000
Home Time Home Weekly
Driver Type Regional Dry Van
Weekly Miles 2,200–2,600
Freight Type General Dry Van
Work draws from the dense warehouse and intermodal base around Joliet and Elwood. Drivers handle no-touch palletized freight with lanes that shift according to customer demand and available reloads rather than a fixed daily route.
- Verify trailer numbers, seals and shipping paperwork before departure.
- Perform compliant pre-trip and post-trip inspections.
- Report remaining hours and any delays to dispatch promptly.
- Work with gate and warehouse staff on live load or unload events.
- Record detention and customer delays according to company policy.
- Keep ELD records accurate and flag maintenance needs early.
Mileage pay runs $0.70–$0.75 per paid mile. On 2,200–2,600 paid miles that produces typical mileage earnings of $1,550–$1,950. Eligible safety performance pay (up to $50/week), detention at $25/hour after the waiting threshold, and other accessorials can raise total gross above the stated range. Sign-on is paid $250 after 30 days, $250 after 90 days and $500 after 180 days, subject to active employment and safety standing.
Normal Weekly Gross $1,550–$1,950
Typical Weekly Gross $1,750
Estimated Annual at Typical Gross $91,000
Sign-On Bonus $1,000 (installments)
Detention $25/hour after threshold
Pay Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home weekly; typically 1–2 nights out, most drivers return to Joliet by end of workweek
Operating Region Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio
Terminal Joliet-area terminal
Typical Weekly Miles 2,200–2,600 paid
Dispatch Window Most activity between 4:00 AM and 8:00 AM
Model Years 2020–2024
Tractor Makes Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T680 sleepers
Transmission Automatic on most units
Safety & Tech ELD, forward-facing dash camera, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise, electronic stability control
Assignment Assigned when fleet allows; temporary trucks during maintenance or shortages
53-foot dry vans are generally 3–8 years old and equipped with standard load-securement equipment. In-cab communication and factory or approved navigation are standard. Routine maintenance runs through the terminal shop network and approved outside facilities; roadside breakdowns are handled by the fleet department.
Freight is mostly no-touch and palletized—retail merchandise, consumer products, packaging materials, building-related goods and industrial supplies. Roughly 50–60 % of moves are drop-and-hook; the rest are live load or unload. Outbound volume originates primarily in the Joliet, Elwood, Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Plainfield warehouse zones.
- Joliet to Indianapolis
- Joliet to Milwaukee
- Joliet to Madison
- Joliet to Grand Rapids
- Joliet to Columbus
- Joliet to Davenport
- Joliet to St. Louis
- Joliet to Fort Wayne
- Primary corridors include I-55, I-80, I-65, I-69, I-70, I-74, I-90 and I-94
- Reloads shift daily with warehouse demand and available equipment
- Monday commonly begins with a preload or early dispatch from the Joliet/Elwood network after the pre-trip.
- An Indiana delivery mid-week is often followed by a reload toward Wisconsin or another Illinois market.
- Two- or three-state movements are more common than single fixed lanes.
- Friday planning usually targets a return through southwest Chicago freight zones or a final Midwest delivery that positions the driver for home.
- Dispatch tries to secure the next load before the current delivery is finished.
- Live loads typically take 45–120 minutes; drop-and-hook stays shorter when yards are organized.
- The 34-hour reset is normally planned at home when the weekly cycle permits; occasional out-of-town resets can occur because of freight timing.
About the Carrier
Continuous dry-van demand arises from the concentration of distribution centers, manufacturing warehouses and retail replenishment facilities that surround the southwest Chicagoland logistics corridor. Mid-sized regional carriers meet that demand by connecting the Joliet–Elwood freight base with destinations across multiple Midwest states instead of locking drivers into single-customer lanes or long-haul OTR cycles. Flexible reload options allow equipment to stay productive when one facility experiences delay or volume changes, keeping the focus on consistent Midwest coverage rather than national linehaul.
Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision options for eligible employees
Retirement 401(k) with company match
Paid Time Off Paid vacation after eligibility; paid company holidays
Additional Paid orientation; company-paid DOT physical renewals
Policies Rider and pet policies subject to approval and insurance
- Valid Class A CDL
- Approximately 6 months of recent CDL-A experience preferred
- Acceptable MVR with no serious or disqualifying DOT violations
- Must pass DOT physical, drug/alcohol screen and FMCSA Clearinghouse query
- Ability to back a 53-foot trailer and work both live and drop-and-hook operations
- Recent CDL graduates considered case-by-case with additional evaluation
- I-55/I-80 traffic and construction can cut into available driving time.
- Gate and dock queues lengthen at major DCs during retail peaks.
- Winter weather affects northern Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan lanes.
- Trailer shortages occur when several customers release equipment at once.
- Slower freight periods may replace a direct return with a repositioning load.
1
Recruiter Call
Usually within one business day
2
Verifications
CDL, MVR, prior employers, Clearinghouse
3
Conditional Offer
After background and driving checks
4
Orientation
Paid at Joliet terminal
Q: What is the usual mix of drop-and-hook versus live freight? ▼
About 50–60 % of normal trailer moves are drop-and-hook. The remainder are primarily live load or unload; the exact split depends on the customer.
Q: Where do drivers park overnight on regional runs? ▼
Company terminal or approved locations are preferred. Plan ahead along the major Midwest corridors, especially near Indianapolis, Gary/Merrillville, Milwaukee and Madison.
Q: Is the 34-hour reset taken at home? ▼
It is normally planned at home when the weekly dispatch cycle permits. Occasional out-of-town resets can occur because of freight timing.
Q: Are weekend loads part of the regular schedule? ▼
Weekend freight increases during retail and seasonal peaks, but the normal model is built around weekly home time.
Q: How is detention paid? ▼
Document delays that meet company policy. Qualifying time is paid at $25 per hour after the applicable waiting threshold.
Q: Are HazMat or tanker endorsements required? ▼
No. Neither endorsement is required for the standard dry-van position.
Joliet sits inside one of the densest CDL-A hiring markets in the Midwest. Continuous freight volume around the southwest Chicagoland corridor sustains steady openings for regional dry-van, dedicated retail, LTL, intermodal and local shuttle drivers. National fleets, established Illinois regionals, dedicated-account operators and smaller local carriers all recruit experienced Class A drivers from the same labor pool. Most regional schedules fall between roughly 1,800 and 2,600 miles per week with one or two nights out. Drivers who prefer consistent Midwest work and weekly home time remain highly contested. Carriers that deliver predictable payroll, functional equipment and reliable freight tend to retain drivers more successfully than those that rely mainly on sign-on bonuses.
Southwest Chicagoland operates as a major inland freight interchange. The CenterPoint Intermodal complex across Joliet and Elwood supports a large concentration of warehousing, trucking and rail activity linked to BNSF Logistics Park Chicago and Union Pacific Global IV. Retail distribution, consumer goods, packaging, industrial products and intermodal freight create diversified dry-van demand rather than reliance on any single industry. I-55 and I-80 form the core highway network and feed natural lanes toward Indianapolis and Louisville, Milwaukee and Madison, Detroit and Grand Rapids, Columbus, St. Louis and eastern Iowa. Distribution centers in Joliet, Elwood, Romeoville, Bolingbrook and Plainfield generate frequent outbound and inbound movements, giving regional carriers multiple reload options once an outbound load is complete. Congestion at interchanges, construction and busy warehouse yards remain ongoing factors that influence transit times throughout the year.