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Truck dispatch in Illinoisbuilt for owner-operators.

Chicago is North America's #1 rail interchange — every major railroad converges here, which means every major retailer ships through Chicago intermodal. Illinois drivers who get the intermodal-drayage rhythm right run consistent five-figure weeks. We dispatch in that rhythm.

MC-817510 DOT-2380414 BBB A+ Dispatching since 2013
// Top freight cities

Where freight moves in Illinois.

Each city is its own freight micro-market. We dispatch in all of them and route you toward whichever one fits your equipment and home base best.

Chicago metro

North America's #1 rail interchange. Every major railroad (BNSF, UP, NS, CSX, CN, CP) converges here. Outbound to Atlanta, NYC, FL is constant. Tolls + congestion eat schedules — local knowledge matters.

Joliet / Elwood (CenterPoint)

CenterPoint Intermodal Center spans 6,400 acres — BNSF Logistics Park + UP Global IV combined move 3.5M+ TEUs/year. 5th-largest US intermodal complex. Drayage from Joliet ranges into Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas.

Rochelle

UP intermodal terminal northwest of Chicago. Less congested than Joliet. Outbound to Iowa + Minnesota DCs. A quieter alternative for owner-ops who don't want Chicago-metro traffic.

Decatur

ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) headquarters + grain processing. Corn, soybean, ethanol freight Sep–Nov drives flatbed and hopper demand. Outbound to ports and ethanol blending stations.

Peoria

Caterpillar HQ + manufacturing. Heavy machinery flatbed outbound. Premium rates on equipment moves to construction and mining markets nationwide.

// At a glance

Illinois freight numbers we're tracking.

RPM range outbound
$2.50–$2.95 dry van; $2.75–$3.10 reefer (highest reefer region in the country recently)
Top commodities
intermodal containers corn + soybeans processed food machinery steel pharmaceuticals
Seasonal patterns
Sweet corn + tomatoes Jul–Sep. Grain harvest (corn + soy) Sep–Nov drives flatbed + hopper demand to river terminals and ethanol plants.

Top outbound lanes from IL

  • Chicago → Atlanta retail
  • Joliet → Indianapolis / Columbus drayage
  • IL → FL retail
  • Decatur → river port grain

Top inbound lanes to IL

  • LA/LB containers via BNSF → Joliet
  • TX → Chicago manufactured goods
  • CA → IL produce reefer
// CenterPoint Joliet

Why Joliet drayage is its own freight market.

CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Joliet/Elwood is the 5th-largest intermodal complex in the United States — 6,400 acres anchoring BNSF Logistics Park and Union Pacific Global IV. Combined the two facilities move 3.5+ million containers per year. Every major importer with West Coast port volume rails containers to Joliet first, then drays them to regional DCs.

For owner-operators based within 300 miles of Chicago, Joliet drayage is a real freight market — boxes get drayed from Joliet to Indianapolis, Columbus, Iowa, the Twin Cities, Kansas City, St. Louis. Per-move rates aren't glamorous but volume + drop-and-hook efficiency means high-utilization weeks.

Outside drayage, Illinois ranks #1 in the country for outbound reefer rates (averaging $2.84/mi per DAT spot-market data, Q1 2026) — driven by food processing, frozen goods, and the Chicago retail outbound flow. We mix drayage + reefer + general dry van for IL-based drivers based on your equipment and weekly preferences.

// FAQ — Illinois

Common questions from IL-based drivers.

Is Joliet drayage worth it for an owner-operator?
For drivers within 300 miles of Chicago: yes. Drop-and-hook efficiency + high volume = strong weekly utilization. For drivers more than 500 miles away: probably not — your deadhead in/out kills the per-mile economics.
How bad is Chicago-metro congestion?
Bad. We route around peak hours when possible and prioritize off-peak shipper appointments. Drivers who hate Chicago traffic can specify "no I-294 / no Tri-State" and we work around it.
Can you dispatch me on Caterpillar / John Deere flatbed?
Yes — heavy equipment flatbed out of Peoria + Quad Cities is a real revenue lane. Permits required on most loads; we file them.
Do you handle CTA / Chicago tolls in settlement?
Yes — IL tollway charges are pass-through items on your settlement. We don't mark them up.

All FAQ →

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