The dominant concept of socio-economic innovation in the modern world is sustainable development, especially of the northern regions. This is explained by the following features: a) harsh weather and climatic conditions; b) the high dependence of the population’s livelihoods on the timely supply of energy, food and consumer goods; c) insufficient development of the transport and logistics system; d) high vulnerability of the environment to anthropogenic impacts; e) the need to preserve the traditional way of life of the population of the northern territories; f) the relevance of expanding production and economic activities for the development of the natural resources of the northern territories. These features have a significant impact on the structure and management of the transport and logistics system of the northern regions. The article discusses the features of planning and managing cargo transportation in the northern regions of Russia. Ensuring the reliability of cargo transportation is determined by the availability and use of initial information used in planning and organizing the work of transport enterprises. Modern information technologies (IT) improve the quality of this information and the speed of data exchange between regional transport departments and transport organizations.