Great Lakes Port Data | 2021 Top 50 Global Freight

2021 Essential Revenue and Operating Information for the 50 Largest Global Freight Carriers

Up Front

After once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, supply chains are adjusting to new normal.
Global supply chain, so often taken for granted, becomes cause for worldwide concern.
Find out where the Top 50 Global Freight Carriers are based.

Rankings

 

Great Lakes

Port Name City Type of Freight TEUs Volume of Freight Tonnage
Ashtabula Harbor Ashtabula, Ohio dry bulk   5,121,134
Buffington Harbor Buffington, Ind. NA   1,570,196
Drummond Island Port Drummond Island, Mich. NA   1,506,871
Fairport Harbor Point Fairport Harbor, Ohio NA   1,872,276
Indiana Harbor East Chicago, Ind. dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift   12,213,768
Port Clinton Marblehead, Ohio NA   2,898,503
Port Dolomite Clark Township, Mich. NA   3,008,973
Port Inland Gulliver, Mich. NA   4,886,329
Port of Alpena Alpena, Mich. NA   2,296,160
Port of Calcite Calcite, Mich. special project cargo   8,081,804
Port of Chicago Chicago dry bulk, liquid bulk   10,035,669
Port of Cleveland Cleveland container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift, special project cargo   11,880,935
Port of Conneaut Conneaut, Ohio NA   3,936,713
Port of Detroit Detroit dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger   13,306,628
Port of Duluth-Superior Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis. break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift, passenger   33,738,834
Port of Gary Gary, Ind. NA   7,978,004
Port of Grand Haven Grand Haven, Mich. NA   1,363,185
Port of Green Bay Green Bay, Wis. dry bulk, liquid bulk   2,283,685
Port of Hamilton Hamilton, Ontario container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, special project cargo   10,000,000
Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Portage, Ind. container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift   9,189,391
Port of Milwaukee Milwaukee dry bulk   2,806,826
Port of Monroe Monroe, Mich. NA   1,656,927
Port of Montreal Montreal container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger   35,101,433
Port of Sandusky Sandusky, Ohio NA   2,507,824
Port of Silver Bay Silver Bay, Minn. NA   5,553,647
Port of Toledo Toledo, Ohio NA   9,073,964
Port of Toronto Toronto container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger   2,208,358
Presque Isle Harbor Presque Isle, Mich. NA   4,647,830
Two Harbors Two Harbors, Minn. dry bulk   16,914,526

Extras

Ports and airports across North America are clamoring to stay ahead of cargo backlogs and shipment load.

If your company appears in the 2021 list, you have a few ways to announce it. Visit our logo library to get web- and print-ready graphics.

Learn more about Transport Topics’ Top 50 Global Freight Carriers publication.

Global Freight News

BusinessEquipmentLogisticsGlobal Freight

Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach set all-time records

Trucking companies serving the country’s major ports had to grapple with a national shift in volumes toward the West Coast in September.

November 2, 2026
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsGlobal FreightTop 100

AIT to acquire Australia's Connor Anderson International

AIT Worldwide Logistics agreed to acquire Sydney-based freight forwarder Connor Anderson International, expanding AIT’s operations in Australia.

November 2, 2026
BusinessEquipmentLogisticsFor-HireGlobal Freight

FedEx Freight goes hunting after initial consolidation

The company’s revenue was $2.442 billion in the three months that ended Sept. 30, an increase of 8.1% compared with $2.259 billion in the same period a year earlier. 

October 30, 2026
BusinessEquipmentLogisticsFor-HireGlobal FreightTop 100

FedEx Freight posts mixed results in first report

FedEx Freight offered mixed results in its first earnings report, pointing to transitional bumps as the company learns to stand on its own.

October 29, 2026
BusinessEquipmentLogisticsFor-HireGlobal FreightTop 100

FedEx boss optimistic over trucking capacity reductions

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam echoed industry optimism over tightening trucking capacity Oct. 28, despite facing short-term cost headwinds.

October 29, 2026
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsGlobal FreightPrivateTop 100

Amazon offers cautious holiday-quarter outlook

Amazon offered a cautious sales outlook for Q4 that encompasses the critical holiday shopping period after delivering Q3 results that came in below analysts' expectations.

October 29, 2026
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsGlobal FreightTop 100

C.H. Robinson leaders tackle RXO friction concerns

C.H. Robinson Worldwide executives on Oct. 28 pushed back against analysts’ concerns that the RXO acquisition could create operational overlap and friction.

October 29, 2026
BusinessEquipmentLogisticsFor-HireGlobal Freight

UPS expects holiday volume dip after Amazon reductions

“As we head into peak, our network is more automated, more efficient and better positioned than ever to handle the holiday surge,” UPS CEO Carol Tomé said.

October 27, 2026
GovernmentBusinessSafetyFuelLogisticsGlobal Freight

U.S.-Asia crude shipments face freight shock

U.S. crude oil exports to Asia are set to hit multiyear lows after the Iran war pushed the cost to lease a tanker for the journey to a record of almost $80 million.

October 22, 2026
BusinessLogisticsFor-HireGlobal Freight

Amazon to hire 300,000 in holiday season, up 20% from 2025

UPS, which has been reducing package volume from Amazon to focus on more profitable business segments, announced plans to hire more than 100,000 seasonal workers.

October 20, 2026

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