Chicago, IL
→ Atlanta, GA
Major intermodal corridor, with both UP and NS rail competing for box volume. Truckload demand spikes in fall as Sun Belt DCs build inventory for the holiday season. Tennessee and Kentucky weigh stations are notably strict.
- Dry van
- Intermodal
- →Sun Belt distribution
- →Auto parts
- →Retail DC restock
How flat 5% lands on a Chicago–Atlanta load
A 720-mile dry-van load through a traditional broker — say, $2,300 all-in — typically loses $414 to the broker's spread (industry-average 18%, per FreightWaves). The carrier sees only $1,886, the shipper paid the full $2,300, and the difference funds a call-center.
On GetHaulDirect, the same load posts at $2,300 — and the carrier sees $2,185 (you keep the broker spread, the platform fee is $115 flat). Across a year of Chicago–Atlanta volume, the gap is real money. See your annual savings →
Carriers running this lane are FMCSA-verified (active operating authority) before they are offered a load, and each is asked for a certificate of insurance and an ID + selfie check. The matching engine looks for carriers whose equipment fits and whose home base is within reach of Chicago, prefers ones with payouts connected and recent activity, then offers the load to the best-fitting carriers at once with 30 minutes to accept — no auction, no double-brokering.