Porter County's largest city
Heavy Duty Towing in Portage, IN
Lake freighters, steel processors and the roads that serve them.
- Dispatch answers 24/7
- Written invoice estimate before the work is billed
- Semis, buses, box trucks, RVs and heavy equipment
A Port City on the Lakeshore
Heavy Duty Towing Portage covers the port, the steel plants and the interstates of Porter County's largest city, home to 37,926 people (2020 census). We recover semis, flatbeds, dump trucks, buses and heavy equipment, and dispatch answers 24/7 at (219) 529-2610.
The port at US 12 and SR 249
The Port of Indiana sits on Lake Michigan at US 12 and State Road 249, and the port is split between Portage and Burns Harbor. The Indiana Port Commission was created in 1961, and the port opened in 1970. Docks are dredged to at least 27 feet. Lake freighters bring iron ore, coal and limestone to the steel mills next door, and most port tenants are steel processors. The SR 249 bridge over US 12 was twinned in 2024.
For a trucker, that means flatbeds and steel haulers on SR 249, SR 149 and US 12, often loaded heavy. When a loaded steel hauler is down, tell dispatch the weight, how the load is secured and the nearest road.
Steel came first
National Steel opened a plant on the Portage shore in 1959. Bethlehem Steel began building a plant partly in Portage in 1963. Portage became a town in 1959 and a city in 1967, and after the steel decline of the 1980s it is still described as a heavily industrial city.
Which exit are you near?
- I-94 exit 19 is SR 249, signed for the Port of Indiana and Portage.
- I-94 exit 22 is US 20, toward Burns Harbor and Porter.
- Indiana Toll Road exit 23 is Willowcreek Road in Portage. The Portage Toll Barrier at mile 23.95 is the western end of the ticket system.
- Going from Gary, the toll road exit 17 to exit 23 is about 6.6 miles.
The toll road has a ticket system east of Portage. Tell dispatch your last ticketed exit if you were on it.
Rail history
The Michigan Central Railroad was completed through here in 1852, and the Baltimore and Ohio arrived in 1874. The South Shore Line runs from the Portage/Ogden Dunes station to Chicago and South Bend.
Before you call from Portage
- Road and exit or mile marker
- Whether the unit is inside a plant or port gate
- Axles, weight and cargo
- Who is paying
Loaded steel and heavy gear
A steel hauler is not an ordinary load. Coils, plate and slabs shift differently from boxed freight, and the wrecker has to protect the load and the road. We ask for the cargo, the weight, the securement and the ground. If the unit is a flatbed on soft ground near the lakeshore, we plan for winch lines and, if needed, a second unit.
Port gates and plant property
Many calls near the port or the steel plants start inside a gate. Give dispatch the gate name, a site contact and the safety rules for entry. If the unit is on a public road, give us the nearest cross road.
Call (219) 529-2610 or
.Portage Facts
- Port of Indiana. The port sits at US 12 and SR 249, with docks dredged to at least 27 feet. Lake freighters carry iron ore, coal and limestone to the neighboring steel mills.
- SR 249 bridge. The SR 249 bridge over US 12 was twinned in 2024, a project expected to potentially double ocean-going cargo capacity at the port.
- Steel plants. National Steel opened a Portage plant in 1959, and Bethlehem Steel began building a plant partly in Portage in 1963.
- City basics. Portage is the largest city in Porter County, with 37,926 residents in 2020. It became a town in 1959 and a city in 1967.
Portage Questions
Can you recover a steel hauler near the port?
Yes. Tell dispatch the road, the weight and how the load is secured. Dispatch gives an honest arrival estimate on the call.
Do you work on SR 249 and US 12 in Portage?
Yes. Give us the direction, the nearest cross road and the unit type.
I'm on the Toll Road near Portage. Can you help?
Yes. Give us the mile marker, direction and your ticket status. Police or the road operator may control the scene.
Can you tow a dump truck from a lakeshore site?
Yes, once we know the ground, the access gate and whether the unit is loaded.
Free Estimates in Portage, IN
Heavy towing and recovery in Portage. Call (219) 529-2610 any hour.
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