Source: Adapted from Google Earth.
A logistic-centric industrial park is a cluster of activities related to freight distribution that are not related to an intermodal terminal, but to road accessibility. The above site depicts such a zone, located halfway between Chicago and New York on the I-80, which is the major highway servicing this corridor. Chicago is commonly the hub for long-distance rail services carrying import cargo from the West Coast (e.g. through Los Angeles / Long Beach). At Chicago, many freight forwarders elect to switch their East Coast bound cargo to the road instead of rail. This is in part due to the opportunity of deconsolidating cargo as well as faster delivery times. Such a strategy has favored the setting of logistic zones at locations along major highway axis between the Midwest and the East Coast. They include a range of activities such as warehousing, cross-docking, chassis depots, as well as basic supporting activities like restaurants and hotels.