Little else is more frustrating as a driver than watching the highway grind to a halt behind a long line of semi trucks. These rolling steel roadblocks can seemingly pop up out of nowhere, trapping commuters for hours with nowhere to pass.
There are stretches of highway across America that have earned a reputation as brutal traffic bottlenecks. These stretches are frequent hot spots for heavy truck traffic and seemingly endless freight congestion. Thankfully, we know exactly where these hot spots are, thanks to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) collection of truck GPS data. The worst offenders are in Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, and Texas. The ATRI data highlights the top 100 truck bottlenecks of 2026; here we’re covering the top 5.
In addition to singling out these notorious, frustrating stretches of highway, this article will cover the average speeds drivers can expect in each area during peak or non-peak times. In addition, we have insight into whether congestion is getting better or worse year-on-year. Knowing where these choke points are before hitting the road can save hours of frustration and delays.
Chicago’s I-294 is home to the worst truck bottleneck out there
Commuters from the area are unlikely to be surprised that I-294, running through Chicago, Illinois, is in the number one spot. It held the number two spot for years prior to this latest report, and it seems things have gotten worse. Specifically, it’s where the I-294 meets with the I-290 and I-88 that traffic grinds to a halt…