The Road South: I-65, I-24 and I-75
By interstate the lane is about 715 road miles. Trucks leave Chicago on I-90, pick up I-65 in northwest Indiana and follow it through Indiana and Kentucky into Tennessee. I-24 runs southeast, mostly in Tennessee, and I-75 covers the last 109 miles through northwest Georgia.
Without stops, the drive is roughly 11 to 14 hours. That is road time, not delivery time, because a shared freight trailer also makes other pickups and drops. Clocks change three times on the way, and you finish one hour ahead of Chicago (federal time zone rule, 49 CFR 71.5), which matters when you pick a delivery window.
Pickup From a Loop, River North or Streeterville Tower
Downtown Chicago buildings control their own freight elevators and loading docks. You reserve the slot with management; with a few days’ notice we can match the pickup to it most of the time. If a slot is missed, the pickup is rescheduled with priority.
Ask management two things before you book with us: which hours the freight elevator is open for move-outs, and whether the building charges residents a move fee of its own. Some newer towers do, and that fee is separate from our price.
Every estimate includes white glove pickup from the first floor. Pickup is scheduled 2 to 10 business days after booking, so book at least 10 days ahead to line up the elevator and the crew. The same steps apply to West Loop lofts.
Delivery Inside the Perimeter and Beyond It
Georgia law keeps through trucks on I-285 around Atlanta (O.C.G.A. 40-6-51). A truck may come inside the Perimeter only to pick up or deliver there, reach a terminal or repair shop, or go home. An intown delivery is therefore a scheduled stop with an appointment.
The City of Atlanta has 15 Restricted Parking Permit districts where parking on the public street requires a permit, among them Brookwood Hills, Peachtree Park, Vine City, Home Park and Midtown. ATLDOT issues right-of-way permits and commercial loading zone permits for trucks that need the curb.
Where a permit is required, we obtain it and the charge is listed with your delivery accessorials. If the trailer cannot get to your door, curbside service is not available at that address, and you book inside delivery, which comes with a crew and a smaller truck.
Atlanta condo towers that ask for a certificate of insurance get one for $100 per building, written as a $1 million policy. Deliveries are by appointment, and a weekday window between 9 and 3 Eastern costs nothing extra.
Georgia Heat in July
Atlanta’s normal July high is 90.1 F, against 84.5 F at O’Hare (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals). Our warehouses are climate controlled; trucks are not. If weather holds up a delivery, there is no fee for the delay, and we reschedule as soon as it clears.
How Movers From Chicago to Atlanta Price a Partial Load
Your price follows the weight and volume we collect. With an accurate inventory, quotes land within a couple of percent of the final bill. There is no deposit, and canceling costs a $75 minimum once the contract is complete. We take anything from one piece up to about 2,000 lb, and minimums start at $600 to $700 for a small single item.
Extras are itemized. In most markets stairs cost $100 per flight after the first floor and elevators a $100 flat rate above the fourth floor, though rates can vary by city. Assembly is $100 an hour, and simple bed frames are usually free. Furniture packing and crating are priced into the shipment; on-site packing of loose items is $150 an hour with a two-hour minimum plus materials, or you can pack your own boxes. Financing is available through Enhancify.
None of the route pages we read for this lane gives a weight-based example for a load under 2,000 lb. Yours is built from your own inventory: the online estimator or (866) 333-8018 gives your exact price.
Who Makes the Move Between Cook and Fulton Counties
Traffic on this lane runs both ways. In 2022 to 2023, 564 Cook County households (839 people) moved to Fulton County while 500 Fulton households (646 people) came north, according to IRS county migration data.
Add DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton, and 1,306 Cook County households (2,092 people) settled in core metro Atlanta in 2022 to 2023. A household that keeps a few good pieces and sells the rest is exactly the load we price for.
One customer sent a hundred year old antique desk from Wisconsin to Georgia; Mary B. wrote that it “arrived on time and in perfect condition” and added, “I can finally enjoy my mother’s secretary in my new home.”
