Some 18-wheelers are more likely to be in an accident in Chicagoland than others, especially on certain truck routes.
Sharing the traffic lanes throughout Illinois, but especially in the Chicago metropolitan area, are all sorts of commercial semi-trucks designed for hauling different types of cargo. The amount of truck traffic is astounding in Chicagoland, “the nation’s premier freight hub.” It is estimated that big rigs hauling freight account for one in seven vehicles on our Interstates, with some parts of Chicagoland having more than 30,000 semi-trucks moving through their areas each day, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
How big is the truck crash danger for Chicago? Different types of cargo-carrying 18-wheelers come with varying levels of harm in the event of an accident; those hauling hazardous materials being particularly vulnerable to severe or fatal truck crashes.
For Chicagoland, these considerations are coupled with local hazards that include a tremendous increase in construction road work zones throughout the area; traffic congestion; traffic bottlenecks; and our notorious weather conditions, especially during the winter months.
Safety agencies, government regulators, and advocates for truck crash victims and their loved ones are alert to not only the risks of the various commercial semi-trucks but the compounding risks that come from driving these big rigs through the Chicago area. Consider the following:
Common Types of Semi-Trucks On Chicago Roadways
Commercial trucks are categorized by their type of trailer, or how they are designed to carry freight. Heavily regulated by federal and state law, Illinois statutes define truck size and weight for trucks operating here. See, Ill. Rev. Stat. ch. 625, §§5/15-101 et seq and the tables provided online by the U.S. Department of Transportation for trucking legislation. All these trucks must conform in size and weight to these mandates.
In Chicagoland, it is common to see lots of the following rumbling through traffic, usually made by recognized manufacturers like Freightliner; Peterbilt; Kenworth; Navistar; or Volvo:
Dry Van Trucks. These are tractor-trailer trucks used to haul cargo that does not need any special treatment (like being temperature controlled). They are long, large boxes; hence, they are also called “box trucks” or “straight trucks.” Think pallets; appliances; building materials; etc. For more, read “What is a Dry Van Truck? All You Need to Know About Dry Van Shipping,” published by GoShip on November 3, 2023.
Flatbeds. These large trucks are designed to haul heavy loads, usually with a steel bed and no sides or roof. They may have a crane or ramps to help with loading/unloading. Some are able to handle over 30 tons, with beds as long as 48 feet. They vary: there are double drops; extendeds; lowboys; removable goosenecks (RGNs); side-kits; skirted; step-decks; stretch single-drop decks; and iron bull dump trailers. For more, read “All About Flatbed Trucks: Definition, Types, and Uses,” published by Inbound Logistics in February 2025.
Refrigerated Trucks (Reefers). These commercial vehicles carry their cargo at the temperature it has at the time of loading, or to a stated temperature, by a refrigeration unit in the trailer that takes out internal heat through a diesel engine combined with a compressor and evaporator coil. Temperatures vary from frozen; refrigerated; or maintained/heated. Cargo can include fruits, vegetables, or meat from our local agricultural industry; to pharmaceutical goods; biotech; cosmetics; and even fine art. For details, read “What is Refrigerated Transport and How Can it Help Your Business?” published by Bossna Logistics.
Tanker Trucks. Commercial trucks with tanks being hauled behind the tractor are called “tanker trucks” varying in size (light; medium; heavy) and able to haul both hazardous materials or toxic chemicals as well as gases and dry bulk (think sand or gravel). These tankers are moving through Chicago traffic with all sorts of hazardous waste, but they are confined to specific routes by federal law (see National Hazardous Materials map for Chicago area here). Also read: Haz Mat Semi-Truck Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: The Dangers of Hazardous Materials Being Hauled on our Roadways.
Chicagoans are also likely to see a variety of other semi-trucks on our roads, too, since we are a freight hub. Less common but still driven on our roadways are trucks like intermodal containers; car haulers; and livestock carriers. In fact, intermodal trucking is on the rise in Chicagoland, spurred by the jump in e-commerce and things like same-day shipping and cost-optimized supply chains, according to CMAP. For more, read: Accidents on the Job in Intermodal Transportation in Indiana and Illinois.
Accident Dangers With These Types of Large Trucks
All of these large commercial trucks share the risk of serious or fatal truck crashes because of their size and weight when fully loaded. Any big rig, 18-wheeler, semi-truck, or tractor-trailer faces possible accidents due to things like defective parts (think tires); bad weather; road debris; or negligent drivers. Read, Different Types of Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents and Tractor-Trailer Crashes.
However, there are also unique risks of a crash that come with these particular types of trucks, such as:
- cargo shifting or falling off in dry vans;
- load sliding or colliding with the cab in flatbeds (especially with overhangs);
- fuel system, electrical, belt, or hose failures in reefers; and
- spills of hazardous materials or escaping toxins in tanker trucks.
These risks can result in catastrophic or fatal injuries not only to those in other motor vehicles involved in the truck crash but to the truck driver and passengers in the rig. Hazmat truck crashes may injure a great many victims, particularly if fumes escape over an area or a fire starts from the crash impact. Read, Hazmat Trucks in Illinois and Indiana: Increased Risk during Emergency Winter Conditions.
Riskiest Routes for Semi-Truck Crashes in Chicagoland
Obviously, any road being driven by a large truck comes with a chance that there will be an accident. Any big rig or semi on Chicago roadways must be respected as coming with a higher risk of harm in a collision.
Nevertheless, some routes in Chicagoland should be understood to come with a higher risk of a semi-truck crash. These are the multi-lane highways, tollways, rural routes, and streets that are approved for truck traffic within the Chicago metropolitan area.
Trucks are not supposed to be driven on roadways outside of these parameters. Maps are available online to truckers to find where they can, and cannot, take their rigs here.
Looking to information provided by CMAP, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Chicago Truck Data Portal, they include:
- Interstates and Expressways. Interstate 55 (I-55), Interstate 80 (I-80), Interstate 90 (I-90), Interstate 94 (I-94), and Interstate 290 (I-290).
- Designated Routes on Local Streets. In order to deliver goods to stores, as well as places like gas stations, big rigs will need to drive into neighborhoods and communities. They are only allowed to move along specific streets or rural routes. Some streets are forbidden for large trucks absent a permit, like Lake Shore Drive, pursuant to City of Chicago restrictions.
- Designated Routes for Industrial Access. These are routes allowed for access to things like distribution centers and rail yards.
- Hazardous Material Routes. Any truck carrying hazardous materials must comply with the federal Hazardous Materials Route Registry for Illinois overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These will include most major interstates and expressways.
Of note, according to research provided by SafeRoads USA, the most dangerous interstates for fatal motor vehicle accidents includes I-55 (Stevenson Expressway); I-90 and I-290; and I-24. American Auto Insurance reports that the most dangerous intersections in Chicago are: East 79th and South Stony Island Avenue; East 95th and South Stony Island Avenue; West Garfield Boulevard and South Wentworth Avenue; Monroe Drive and Lake Shore Drive; and North Columbus Driver and East Wacker Drive. Read, “What are the Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Illinois?” published by American Auto Insurance on September 17, 2024.
Danger of Severe Semi-Truck Crash in Chicagoland
The Illinois Department of Transportation warns us that tractor-trailer trucks are happening more and more often, with “…fatalities resulting from tractor-trailer crashes increased by 31.4% from 2021.” Read, 2022 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics published by the Illinois Department of Transportation, page 42.
Here in the Chicago area, our huge amount of commercial truck traffic makes the risk of being involved in a severe or deadly truck accident even more likely. It is important to evaluate this risk for ourselves and our loved ones, especially if we are driving on recognized high-risk areas, like the truck routes on our main interstates, or as we share traffic lanes with 18-wheelers known to be particularly risky.
Hopefully, trends will turn and our roadways will become safer. For those that are tragically involved in a Chicagoland truck crash, there are avenues for justice under state law and court case precedent that may provide monetary compensation for harms suffered by the victim and their loved ones.
For more, read:
- Why Are There So Many Serious or Fatal Semi-Truck Accidents in Chicagoland?
- Big Trucks in Chicago: Dangers of 18-Wheeler Accidents in Chicagoland.
- Chicago Truck Accidents: Liability after Serious Chicagoland Semi-Truck Crash.
Semi-truck crashes are some of the most deadly motor vehicle accidents due to the size and weight of these rigs in comparison to cars, pickups, sedans, and SUVs on the road. Truckers, their co-drivers or passengers, as well as pedestrians and those in other motor vehicles are at a great risk of being permanently hurt or killed in a Chicago truck crash. Please be careful out there!
