Truck dispatch in St. Louis, MO

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Freight in St. Louis

The St. Louis metro, which crosses into Illinois, has about 118,200 manufacturing jobs (BLS, August 2026, preliminary). Missouri's labor agency names Boeing, General Motors, Anheuser-Busch and Nestlé Purina among the region's top employers, so freight runs both ways: finished goods and parts leaving plants, and food, packaging and retail freight coming in.

Rail and river set St. Louis apart. MoDOT ranks it the nation's sixth-largest rail transportation center, and the city's Port Authority says the local port system is the second-largest inland port system in the U.S. Grain, steel, fertilizer and salt move between barges, rail and trucks along the riverfront, which keeps flatbeds, hoppers and dry vans busy. GM's Wentzville Assembly plant, just west on I-70, builds the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and the Express and Savana full-size vans.

Major shippers and freight hubs

Listed for context from official sources. Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies, and we don't claim them as customers.

Main routes and truck traffic

The highways most loads in and out of St. Louis run on: I-70, I-44, I-55, I-64, I-270, I-255, I-170, US 61, US 67.

I-70 runs west to Kansas City and east into Illinois toward Indianapolis. I-44 heads southwest to Springfield, Tulsa and Texas, I-55 runs south to Memphis and north to Chicago, and I-64 goes east toward Louisville. I-270 and I-255 loop around the metro so through traffic can skip downtown.

MoDOT counts more than 13,250 trucks a day on Missouri's I-70 and expects over 15,700 by 2050. At the Foristell weigh station on I-70, west of the metro, it counted about 5,300 combination trucks a day eastbound and 4,900 westbound in 2024, and about 5,600 eastbound on I-44 at St. Clair. Missouri's 2026 freight plan lists I-64/I-55 at I-44 in St. Louis among the nation's top 100 truck bottlenecks, and I-64 and I-270 among the state's least reliable truck routes.

Lane planner: what a load out of St. Louis really pays

Pick a lane, type the broker's offer, and see your miles, driving time, fuel and what's left after dispatch.

Miles are estimates (straight-line distance × 1.13). Check your truck GPS before you accept a load. Driving days assume the 11-hour driving limit.

Who hauls out of St. Louis

Most for-hire carriers based in St. Louis are small: about three out of five run a single truck or less. That's who we work for: owner-operators and small fleets who want a dispatcher handling the load boards, broker calls and paperwork. The truck count above is high because some big private fleets, like phone and utility companies, are registered here too.

Largest for-hire carriers based in St. Louis

By trucks reported to FMCSA, from the Company Census File for companies with a physical address in St. Louis, MO, as of October 7, 2026. Listed for reference only; Fleetorica isn't affiliated with these companies. Check any carrier or broker with our carrier and broker lookup.

Truck parking and weigh stations

Truck space counts are from MoDOT's 2026 truck parking study (2024 inventory). At the overnight peak, the study found the St. Clair rest areas at 283% and 213% of capacity, Bloomsdale at 115%, and the I-70 westbound Wright City rest area at 372%, the fullest public truck parking site in Missouri. Source

The same study says trucks heading into St. Louis on I-70 have "nowhere to go" and that drivers often shut down early to grab a spot. It didn't count private truck stops inside the metro. Source

MoDOT says I-70 is short about 286 truck parking spaces, a gap it expects to grow to 446. Source

Weigh stations

MoDOT's 2026 truck parking study lists Missouri State Highway Patrol weigh stations near St. Louis at Foristell on I-70 (both directions), St. Clair on I-44 (both directions) and Bloomsdale on I-55 (southbound). Source

Besides the Highway Patrol and MoDOT, the commercial vehicle units of the St. Louis City and St. Louis County police enforce truck rules in the metro. Source

Freight calendar for St. Louis and Missouri

When freight picks up in and around St. Louis. Bars show the months; each line links its official source.

What we book, by truck type

Dry van

Beverage, pet food, auto parts and retail distribution keep dry vans busy. We look for reloads close to St. Louis so you're not deadheading out across Missouri or Illinois.

Reefer

Food makers and grocery distribution ship all year, and Missouri and Illinois farm country is close by. We plan reloads so the unit isn't running empty.

Flatbed

Steel, pipe, machinery and building materials move through the riverfront terminals and area plants. We check securement and tarp needs before we book.

Power only

Rail ramps and distribution centers put preloaded trailers on the market. We confirm the trailer, the pickup number and the facility rules before you go.

Box truck

A big metro on both sides of the river means steady box truck work, including final-mile deliveries in Missouri and Illinois.

How we dispatch here

• MoDOT's truck parking study says trucks heading into St. Louis on I-70 have "nowhere to go," so we lock in your stop before you roll toward the city
• We avoid booking tight appointments that run you through the I-64/I-55/I-44 interchange at rush hour, one of the nation's top 100 truck bottlenecks
• Many St. Louis loads pick up or deliver on the Illinois side of the river, so we check Illinois rules too
• In Missouri, the Highway Patrol, MoDOT and the commercial vehicle units of the St. Louis City and St. Louis County police all enforce truck rules, so we make sure your paperwork is complete before you go
• Interstate carriers need nothing extra from Missouri. For-hire loads that stay inside Missouri need MoDOT authority

State rules, permits and taxes are on our Missouri dispatch page.

Pricing

a percentage of the load's gross, quoted for your truck and lanes, charged only on loads we book. No contract, and your first load is free.

Other cities we cover in Missouri

Kansas City

Questions carriers ask