Big Rigs · Illinois · November 4, 2026

Hyundai Translead Raises Its Illinois Trailer Plant Plan to $600 Million and 3,750 Jobs, Trucking Dive Reports, With Plants Near Joliet That Truckers Will Pull

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Hyundai Translead plans to invest an additional $150 million and add 1,250 full-time jobs at its Illinois manufacturing operations, bringing its total commitment to $600 million and 3,750 jobs, Trucking Dive reported on Nov. 3, 2026, citing an Oct. 22 press release. Big Rig Daily first reported on the company's announcement in Hyundai Translead Adds 1,250 Jobs to Planned Illinois Trailer Plants, and this article adds the details Trucking Dive published.

What changed since March

When the project was announced in March, Hyundai Translead planned to invest more than $450 million and create 2,500 full-time jobs. The new total is $600 million and 3,750 jobs. The investment will fund a third production shift, which the company says will add capacity as the transportation industry continues its recovery.

Sean Kenney, CEO of Hyundai Translead, said in the release: "Expanding our planned investment reflects our confidence in Illinois, its workforce, and the long-term growth of our U.S. operations."

The two plants

Trucking Dive says the company is redeveloping two shuttered plants in Joliet, in Will County, about an hour southwest of Chicago. One is a 1.3 million-square-foot former Caterpillar facility on Channahon Road. The other is a 900,000-square-foot plant once used by electric school bus manufacturer Lion Electric.

When will production start?

An official production date was not disclosed. Trucking Dive says a video announcement the company released in May suggested the expansion was "coming in 2027," without other specifics. The sources do not give a start date for hiring or for any shift.

Recognition and the wider network

The Illinois Economic Development Corp. honored the original $450 million project earlier this month with its Governor's Award for Large Development of the Year at the inaugural Illinois Impact Awards, Trucking Dive reports. The company, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co., also operates three plants in Tijuana, Mexico, and describes the Illinois project as part of a strategy to strengthen its North American manufacturing network and get closer to customers.

What it means for truckers

The sources do not say how many trailers the plants will build or how they will be delivered. They also do not give a hiring schedule. For truckers in the Chicago area, the news is mainly about trailer supply and jobs in the region, and the timing remains unclear.

Quick facts

• Investment: $600 million total, up $150 million from the March plan of more than $450 million.
• Jobs: 3,750 full-time, up 1,250 from 2,500.
• Location: two plants in Joliet, Will County, Illinois.
• Reason: a third production shift to add capacity.
• Timing: no official production date; a May video said "coming in 2027."

FAQ

Where are the plants?

In Joliet, Illinois, about an hour southwest of Chicago, per Trucking Dive.

What are the plants being converted from?

A former Caterpillar facility and a plant once used by electric school bus maker Lion Electric.

Is this a new announcement?

The increase was announced in an Oct. 22 release. Trucking Dive published its report on Nov. 3.

A question for readers

Truckers in the Chicago area, does a bigger trailer plant nearby change what you expect for local freight?

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