Chicago, IL to Aguascalientes, AGU freight

The Chicago to Aguascalientes corridor runs southbound from the U.S. into Mexico and typically crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge).

Direction

Southbound (U.S. to Mexico)

Equipment on this lane

Dry van-led, with open deck demand

Carrier availability

Vetted carriers cover this corridor

Marketplace activity

Posted by brokers on the Cargado marketplace

<div class="lane-viz"><div class="lane-viz-mapwrap"><img class="lane-viz-map" src="https://cargado-lane-maps.pages.dev/chicago-il-to-aguascalientes-agu.svg" alt="Chicago, IL to Aguascalientes, AGU freight route map on Cargado" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="620"></div><div class="lane-viz-panel"><div class="lane-viz-title">Transit time</div><div class="tr"><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">U.S. leg</div><div class="trroute">Chicago, IL <span class="arr">→</span> Laredo, TX</div></div><b>3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Border crossing</div><div class="trroute">Laredo, TX <span class="arr">→</span> Nuevo Laredo, TAM</div></div><b>1–3 days</b></div><div class="trrow"><div class="trl"><div class="trlabel">Mexico leg</div><div class="trroute">Nuevo Laredo, TAM <span class="arr">→</span> Aguascalientes, AGU</div></div><b>1 day</b></div><div class="trrow tot"><span>Total transit</span><b>5–7 days</b></div></div><div class="lane-viz-title">Typical market range</div><div class="lane-rate-band" style="font-size:1.75rem;font-weight:700;color:#16295c;margin:.15rem 0 .6rem">$4K–$5K</div><a class="lane-cta" href="https://cargado.com/brokers/get-a-demo">Request a demo for detailed rates </a><div class="lane-viz-fine">Estimated drive time by road, split at the border. Border dwell varies with documentation and crossing.</div></div></div>

This corridor connects the Chicago market (Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Romeoville, Aurora, Elgin, and Joliet) with the Aguascalientes market (Aguascalientes, San Francisco De Los Romo, Loretito, Jesús María, Valle De Aguascalientes, and Parque Industrial San Francisco), running southbound from the U.S. Brokers post this corridor to the Cargado marketplace.

Recent carrier bids on this corridor typically land in the $4K–$5K range. Request a demo to see detailed, current rates for this lane.

What ships from Chicago

Freight out of the Chicago market leans toward automotive parts, machinery and industrial equipment and food and beverage based on what brokers actually post there. You can read more on the freight types pages.

Equipment on this corridor

Dry van-led, with open deck demand. Browse equipment definitions in the glossary if a term is unfamiliar.

Where this lane picks up

Carriers on this lane pick up across the Chicago area: Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Romeoville, Aurora, Elgin, Joliet, Bedford Park, and Alsip. Nearby markets that feed it include Gary, Milwaukee, Rockford, Lafayette, Madison, and Grand Rapids.

Where this lane delivers

Carriers on this lane deliver across the Aguascalientes area: Aguascalientes, San Francisco De Los Romo, Loretito, Jesús María, Valle De Aguascalientes, Parque Industrial San Francisco, Las Jaulas, and Loreto. It also reaches nearby markets like Zacatecas, Leon, San Luis Potosi, Irapuato, Guadalajara, and Santiago de Querétaro.

Border crossing

Most freight on this corridor crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge). Loads either run direct with a through-trailer or transload at the border, and the transfer step is priced into carrier bids. See transloading and the Laredo (World Trade Bridge) crossing page.

Brokers post corridors like this to Cargado's marketplace, where vetted Mexico and Canada carriers bid and every counterparty is vetted before the first load moves.

More lanes from these markets

Every lane guide for Aguascalientes is listed on its lane hub, by direction and destination country.

The markets on this lane

Origin market

Chicago, IL

Metropolitan Chicago has six Class I railroads and is the largest U.S. point of origin and termination for intermodal shipments, with about 50 percent of U.S. intermodal trains passing through. Canada and Mexico are Illinois's two largest export markets.

Industries: Intermodal and logistics, chemicals, machinery and electronics, automotive, food and beverage

Industrial park: CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Joliet and Elwood, anchored by the BNSF Logistics Park Chicago and the Union Pacific Joliet Intermodal Terminal. 6,400 acres (operating). Source
Rail: CN intermodal terminals in Harvey and Joliet; the Harvey terminal is open 24 hours daily (operating). Source
Rail: Union Pacific Border Direct intermodal service linking Chicago with Port Laredo and El Paso (operating). Source
Industrial park: Elk Grove Village Business Park. 62 million sq ft of industrial space (operating). Source
Airport: O'Hare International Airport cargo area, with a northeast cargo campus and three south-airfield cargo ramps. More than 2 million metric tons of cargo (operating). Source

Distribution: Warehouse and distribution space concentrated in the Will County and Greater O'Hare freight clusters, including the CenterPoint park in Joliet and Elwood.

Destination market

Aguascalientes, AGU

Automotive manufacturing is the base of Aguascalientes freight, with vehicle assembly plants and a large tier of supplier plants around them. The state reported US$6.46 billion of exports in the first half of 2025, led by transport equipment and electronics.

Industries: Auto and auto parts, electrical and electronics, agribusiness, textiles and apparel

Vehicle assembly: Land vehicles, parts and accessories are the state's top export sector. US$4,288 million of exports, with data through December 2023. Source
Auto parts: Tier 1 and lower-tier supplier plants serving vehicle assemblers. 35 Tier 1 plants with about 20,000 direct jobs; 117 Tier 2 and lower plants with about 15,000 direct jobs. Source
Industrial parks: FINSA Aguascalientes, a park with direct access to vehicle assembly plants, on the Aguascalientes-Mexico highway at km 114.5. 106 hectares occupied. Source
Rail: Ferromex and CPKC de México rail links to the main customs offices and ports. Source
Customs: Aduana de Aguascalientes, a customs office for import and export. Open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Source

Distribution: Distribution follows the automotive base, with just-in-time supplier delivery from industrial parks beside the assembly plants and rail links to the main customs offices and ports.

Market profiles describe industries and facility types from public government, industry, port, railroad and industrial-park sources. They name no shippers, manufacturers, retailers or logistics companies.

Common questions about this lane

How do I find carriers for Chicago to Aguascalientes?

On Cargado, brokers post the corridor and vetted carriers bid on it. Every carrier is verified before it can bid, which replaces cold-calling unknown carriers.

What equipment is available on the Chicago to Aguascalientes corridor?

Postings here are mostly dry van, with some open-deck. If you need a type you do not see, post the load anyway. Carriers with matching equipment get notified automatically.

Does freight on this corridor transload at the border or run direct?

Both happen. Most freight crosses at Laredo (World Trade Bridge), where carriers either transfer the trailer to a cross-border drayage carrier or run direct with a through-trailer. The bid reflects the carrier's setup.

Moving freight on this lane?

Post it to 2,400+ vetted Mexico and Canada carriers, or check market rates built from real carrier bids before you quote.

Get a demo Request access See shipper rates