Chicago, United States
Sea freight in Chicago
We book FCL and LCL sea freight for shippers and consignees in Chicago, via Inland rail ramps, sea freight via East and West Coast ports. Pre-carriage, on-carriage by road or rail and the customs entries are planned together with the ocean booking.
Airports, seaports and connections in Chicago
- AirportO'Hare
ORD - SeaportInland rail ramps, sea freight via East and West Coast ports
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the largest cargo airports in the United States and the main air freight gateway for the Midwest, with dense freighter and widebody passenger service to Europe and Asia. Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), north-west of the city, has developed into an additional cargo airport with freighter and express operations. Chicago has no ocean container port of its own for deep-sea trade; containers reach the region by rail from East Coast and West Coast ports and are handled at large inland intermodal ramps in the metro area.
Chicago is the largest rail hub in North America, where most of the Class I railroads meet. Major intermodal terminals are located around Joliet and Elwood south-west of the city. The interstate network includes I-90, I-94, I-55, I-80 and I-88, and the I-294 Tri-State Tollway runs past O'Hare, giving direct truck access from the cargo areas to distribution centres across Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Operational logistics facts for Chicago
| Hub | Specialisation | Local advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) | Freighter and widebody air freight to Europe and Asia | Main air cargo gateway for the Midwest |
| Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) | Freighter and express operations | Alternative cargo airport north-west of Chicago |
| Joliet / Elwood intermodal terminals | Rail containers from East and West Coast ports | Sea freight delivered to the Midwest by rail |
| I-294 / I-90 / I-55 corridors | Truck distribution to Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin | Direct road access from O'Hare to regional plants |
Industries in Chicago and how we support them
The Chicago region is a manufacturing centre for machinery, industrial equipment and metal products, a major food processing location and home to large pharmaceutical and medical companies in the northern suburbs. Agricultural and construction equipment makers across the Midwest also source parts through Chicago. We support these supply chains with air freight under our own air waybills via ORD, sea freight to and from US coastal ports with rail delivery to Chicago ramps, Next Flight Out for production-critical parts and On-Board Courier for prototypes and samples. Customs data is prepared before the cargo lands.
From the port to your door in Chicago
We arrange collection of the container or the LCL cargo at Inland rail ramps, sea freight via East and West Coast ports, customs clearance and delivery to your site in the Chicago area. For exports we organise the pick-up and the delivery to the terminal before the cut-off.
Customs clearance in the United States
Ziem network
Customs clearance in the United States is handled by a partner team in the Ziem network, under the Ziem Logistics brand and to our procedures.
For air freight to and from the United States we issue our own air waybills.
Importers in the United States need an importer of record number and, for most formal entries, a customs bond.
Frequently asked questions
Which port is used for sea freight to and from Chicago?
Usually Inland rail ramps, sea freight via East and West Coast ports. Depending on the shipping line and the destination, another port can be faster or more economical; we compare the options when quoting.