Logistics in Chicago

Chicago is by far one of the best cities in the United States for Logistics. And its not just because I live there or because Logistics Today named Chicago the #3 most logistics friendly city in the country for 2005. Sure it gets pretty cold over here in the winters but if you are looking for a central location to run your distribution program then Chicago definitely needs to be considered when outsourcing your company's logistics.

• Chicago is home to one of the countries most extensive transportation infrastructures and provides flexible, efficient service for every mode of transportation.

• Illinois features 2,000 miles of interstate highway and 3 interstates (I-80, I-90, and I-70). There is also an abundance of terminals, freight forwarders and transportation companies.

• Chicago is the largest hub for railroad distribution in the country with more than 50 railroads providing service from Illinois to the entire country. It is also home to the country's largest switching yard the Belt Railway.

• Chicago's O'Hare Airport is the second largest airport in the country shipping more than 1.6 million tons of cargo each year.

Chicago is also home to a large number of respected logistics companies offering integrated warehousing and transportation services. In fact in the Nov. 05' issue of Business 2.0, the third party logistics industry was named one of the largest upcoming growth industries for the Chicago area and its megapolitan. This provides hope for greater competition in the future, creating greater opportunity and more comprenhensive service offerings for companies outsourcing logistics services in Chicago.

Currently Logistics companies in Chicago typically provide excellent rail distribution service and are also able to leverage their central location to offer service efficiencies and excellent TL and LTL delivery times that can't always be found in some metropolitan areas.

The Chicago area is definitely a point to be strongly considered as part of your distribution program. With the continued growth of the Illinois logistics industry I believe it will retain its title as one of the most effective areas in the country for third party logistics services.

Sources:
Logistics in Illinois
The Top Logistics Friendly Cities in the US, 2005