Freight Shipping in Illinois
Full and partial truckloads in dry vans, reefers and flatbeds, picked up anywhere in Illinois and matched with carriers vetted before every dispatch.
Request a Freight Quote
Tell us what moves, where and how often. A logistics specialist replies with pricing and capacity, not a form letter.
Every carrier is vetted for operating authority and insurance, and we check the certificate before every dispatch, not once a year. USDOT 3411782 · MC 1100274
At a glance
Shipping in Illinois at a glance
The facts that decide how a load moves here. Regulatory figures link to the official page they come from.
- I-55
- I-57
- I-64
- I-70
- I-72
- I-74
- I-80
- I-88
- I-90
- I-94
- I-39
- I-24
- I-290
- I-294
- Port of Chicago (Illinois International Port District)
- Port of Metropolitan St. Louis
- Port of Peoria
- intermodal and rail freight
- corn and soybean farming and grain
- manufacturing (machinery, food, chemicals)
- pharmaceuticals and life sciences
- wholesale trade and e-commerce distribution
How freight moves in Illinois
Freight in Illinois runs on I-55, I-57, I-64, I-70, I-72 and I-74. Ocean and river cargo moves through Port of Chicago (Illinois International Port District), Port of Metropolitan St. Louis and Port of Peoria. The state's economy leans on intermodal and rail freight, corn and soybean farming and grain, manufacturing (machinery, food, chemicals) and pharmaceuticals and life sciences, and that is most of what moves on its roads.
Rules of the road
What shapes a move in Illinois
- Seasonal conditions
Some county highway departments, such as Winnebago County in northern Illinois, post seasonal weight limits on county roads during the late-winter and spring thaw, typically for four to six weeks.
IDOT permit moves may not be made when the highway is covered with snow or ice, when visibility is unduly impaired by rain, snow or fog, or whenever the Illinois State Police consider travel unsafe.
Rules change. The specialist on your move checks the current ones for your exact route before anything is booked.
Cities
Freight Shipping by city in Illinois
These are the busiest pickup points. Any address in Illinois works, including the towns between them.
ChicagoCook County
Chicago is the main freight rail hub of North America, where the major U.S. railroads interchange cargo, and it is also a leading trucking and air cargo center where I-90, I-94, I-55 and I-57 meet.
- I-90
- I-94
- I-55
- I-57
JolietWill County
Joliet, southwest of Chicago, has long been a transportation hub where I-55 and I-80 run close together, and the Joliet and Elwood area is home to large intermodal terminals and warehouse parks.
- I-80
- I-55
- I-355
PeoriaPeoria County
Peoria, on the Illinois River in central Illinois, is a river barge and grain shipping point at the crossing of I-74 and I-474, with a heavy-equipment manufacturing base.
- I-74
- I-474
- I-155
RockfordWinnebago County
Rockford, in northern Illinois at the I-90 and I-39 junction, has a deep base of aerospace and machinery manufacturing and an international airport with a significant air cargo operation.
- I-90
- I-39
- US-20
AuroraKane County
Aurora, on I-88 about 40 miles west of Chicago, is the second-largest city in Illinois and a Fox Valley center for manufacturing, rail and distribution.
- I-88
- US-30
- US-34
East St. LouisSt. Clair County
East St. Louis is on the Mississippi River across from St. Louis, Missouri, in the Metro East, where I-55, I-64 and I-70 cross the river and rail yards and river terminals serve the St. Louis region.
- I-55
- I-64
- I-70
MolineRock Island County
Moline is one of the Quad Cities on the Mississippi River, where I-74 crosses into Iowa, with river locks, rail service and a long history of farm and construction equipment manufacturing.
- I-74
- I-80
- I-280
SpringfieldSangamon County
Springfield, the state capital, is in central Illinois where I-55, the Chicago to St. Louis route, meets I-72.
- I-55
- I-72
Freight Shipping
Equipment and loads
Dry van
Pallets, boxes and packaged goods, full or partial truckload.
Refrigerated
Food, produce and anything with a temperature, with the setting confirmed at pickup.
Flatbed and step deck
Steel, pipe, lumber, building materials and anything loaded from the side or the top.
Hazmat and oversized
Coordinated with carriers whose authority and permits match the load.
Questions about shipping in Illinois
What freight do you move in Illinois?
What the state ships: intermodal and rail freight, corn and soybean farming and grain, manufacturing (machinery, food, chemicals), pharmaceuticals and life sciences and wholesale trade and e-commerce distribution, in dry vans, reefers or flatbeds depending on the load, full or partial.
Do you coordinate port freight in Illinois?
Yes. Drayage and transload from Port of Chicago (Illinois International Port District), Port of Metropolitan St. Louis and Port of Peoria are coordinated with carriers that have terminal access and chassis available.
What do you need to quote a load?
Origin and destination, what is moving, the weight and the pallet count or dimensions, the trailer type if you know it, and the date. With that a specialist replies with pricing and capacity.
Can a load from Illinois go to Mexico?
Yes. Loads from Illinois travel to a Texas crossing such as Laredo or Pharr, where the transfer and the customs paperwork are coordinated with brokers on both sides.
How fast do you reply to a quote request?
In under 10 minutes during business hours, by text or phone for a move inside the U.S., and on WhatsApp for one going to Mexico.
Get a Free, No-Obligation Quote Today
Our logistics specialists are standing by. We reply in under 10 minutes.
Every carrier is vetted for operating authority and insurance, and we check the certificate before every dispatch, not once a year. USDOT 3411782 · MC 1100274