Wisconsin Coverage Area

Do you need to move freight into or out of Wisconsin? With nine fully staffed service centers across the state, ArcBest^® can offer transportation and logistics solutions such as less-than-truckload, truckload, expedite, air freight and intermodal to shippers who need to move freight to regional, national and international locations. To get a quote, or to learn more about our services, call 800-610-5544.

State Statistics

• Population – 5.79 million
• Unemployment rate – 3 percent
• Sales tax rate – 5 percent
• Corporate tax rate – 7.9 percent
   

Agriculture’s Economic Impact in Wisconsin

Agriculture is the largest economic contributor in Wisconsin. On the whole, the industry contributes more than $88 billion annually, with dairy being the biggest contributor. Wisconsin is known as “America’s Dairyland” because of its mass dairy production. The state is home to more than 8,600 dairy farms, and the dairy industry provides nearly $43.4 billion each year, according to a report from Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Manufacturing’s Role

Manufacturing is also important to the state. Wisconsin has more than 7,800 manufacturing firms; combined, those firms produced more than $56 billion in revenue for the state in 2016. Top manufacturing commodities include food, beverage and tobacco products, heavy machinery, and fabricated metal and chemical products. Manufacturing provides employment to more than 16 percent of the state’s workforce.

Tourism in Wisconsin

The state is bordered by two of the Great Lakes and has a diverse landscape of hills and wooded regions, making it a great place for hiking, camping, water sports and other outdoor activities. Events like summer air shows, professional and collegiate sports, and arts, music and other cultural events make Wisconsin a haven for tourists. In fact, tourism provided more than $20 billion to the state and supported jobs for nearly 8 percent of the state’s workforce in 2017.

How to Move Freight in Wisconsin

Whether by ground, rail, water or air, shippers can rely on a well-maintained transportation infrastructure when moving goods into and out of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has established a state freight plan to help facilitate legislation to improve local transportation projects and help ensure the state remains competitive in the global freight shipping marketplace.

Ground

Companies providing ground transportation have access to more than 11,000 miles of state, federal and interstate highways and more than 115,000 miles of public roadways throughout Wisconsin.

Rail

Over 3,300 miles of railroad track are located within Wisconsin’s borders, with 13 freight railroads operating on them. It’s estimated that 162 million tons of freight, valued at over $122 billion, is shipped by rail each year.

Water

Wisconsin is bordered by commercially navigable waterways on three sides — an ideal situation for companies that need to utilize water transportation. The 29 commercial ports and harbors in the state see more than 40 million tons and $8 billion of cargo each year. 

Air

Wisconsin has eight commercial airports — including the state’s largest, Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport — to support the movement of regional, national and international air cargo.