Top 25 LTL Trucking Companies

Forward Air is acquiring a Seattle-based drayage company as part of its strategy to direct more transloaded international container freight to its expedited LTL network.

Knight-Swift now gets 13 percent of its revenue from its regional less-than-truckload subsidiaries, as it adds terminals and expands from a “super-regional” to a national footprint.

Growing e-commerce and import-export business is pulling Northeast regional LTL carrier A. Duie Pyle south to Virginia, where it plans to open three terminals and connect to ports.

Less-than-truckload provider Yellow denied liability but agreed to settle a longstanding allegation that it charged the US Department of Defense too much for certain shipments before 2013.

Double-digit increases in tonnage and volume at two of the largest less-than-truckload carriers in February reflect strong overall demand from US retail and industrial shippers.

On-dock automation and better analytical tools are helping linehaul LTL carrier Roadrunner cut transit times in 120 lanes as LTL shippers increase demand for speed, especially from ports.

Higher rates and accessorial charges helped the largest US less-than-truckload carriers add revenue at an unprecedented pace last year, with the five fastest-growing companies increasing their top line between 30 and 40 percent.

The pipeline of freight feeding less-than-truckload carriers is getting bigger, expanded by growth from traditional industrial sources and imports moving into LTL trucking networks.

Changes in shipper needs accelerated by the pandemic added more than $1 billion in revenue to ArcBest’s topline last year, driving growth in its asset- and asset-light services.

High freight demand, driven by US imports and e-commerce, will keep pressure on less-than-truckload capacity and pricing in 2022, speakers said at the annual SMC3 JumpStart conference.

XPO is adding new facilities and technology to its less-than-truckload network, reducing reliance on third parties.

Once often discounted, general rate increases are going to stick as LTL trucking demand grows faster than capacity.

LTL shippers that used Central Freight Lanes should expect their transportation costs to rise in a tightening market in the wake of the Texas-based carrier’s sudden closure.

The ninth-largest LTL carrier is in a race to build out its network capacity as more freight and heavier shipments hit its docks.

Southeastern Freight Lines is working with Relay Payments to automate accessorial payment processes such as “lumper fees” as LTL firms look to digitize more aspects of their business.

With less-than-truckload demand high and capacity tight, TFI International is clawing back its US LTL network to improve freight and lane density and profitability.

Tight LTL capacity and rates that have climbed by double digits are creating opportunities for more dynamic LTL pricing, if it can be shown to benefit shippers and carriers.

LTL carriers including Old Dominion Freight Line are turning to surcharges to keep over-sized, unwieldy shipments from clogging their networks, taking a page from parcel carriers.

The $235 million acquisition of MoLo Solutions will double ArcBest’s available capacity and reflects an industrywide drive to access capacity across modes and networks.

The largest US trucking company, FedEx Freight, is improving profits while handling more cargo, as sister division FedEx Ground deals with congestion blamed partly on labor shortages.

Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion Freight Line hopes to counter the threat of COVID-19 to its own employees and its customers with a financial vaccination incentive.

Rather than adding terminals, XPO says it is deploying technology to better utilize existing space in its trailers and speed trucks, effectively expanding the capacity it can offer customers.

As supply chain disruption increases, tracking technology and higher detention charges are two methods LTL carriers are using to combat trailer detention and encourage shippers to speed turns

Old Dominion Freight Line, the second-largest US LTL carrier, is accelerating a $275 million expansion plan as surging LTL becomes more central to the consumer economy.

Waves of freight are flooding the less-than-truckload market from all sides, and shippers will need to be "creative" to get capacity, according to Yellow CEO Darren Hawkins.

The largest US trucking company is more profitable than ever despite the capacity and service challenges posed by waves of e-commerce-generated freight and a resurgent industrial economy.

Teamsters at Yellow’s western regional carrier Reddaway agreed to drop their standalone contract and join Yellow’s national master agreement, a step that makes integration of Yellow’s brands easier.

FedEx Freight’s “targeted volume controls” on select shippers amplify industry-wide less-than-truckload capacity constraints that are reshaping the LTL business and sending rates soaring.

CEO Darren Hawkins pledges cooperation with congressional subcommittee investigating its $700 million loan and defends Yellow’s claim to be a major military trucking supplier, saying CARES Act saved critical LTL capacity as well as jobs.

Double-digit year-over-year increases in volume and revenue at Old Dominion Freight Line set a benchmark for US economic and LTL sector growth since the worst point of the recession.

Less-than-truckload carriers are becoming a transload option for importers forced to choose between speed and cost of delivery amid port congestion and intermodal delays.

Regional LTL carrier A. Duie Pyle is expanding its integrated logistics center in Hagerstown, Maryland, as existing customers seek more services, including managed transportation and warehousing.

US LTL pricing continues its climb, as inflationary pressures from driver wages to the cost of purchased transportation accelerate rate hikes. Both carriers and 3PLs report high LTL volumes.

Estes Express Lines is gaining new business near seaports, but the fourth-largest LTL carrier is also investing in infrastructure, technology, and people, propelling its growth ahead of competitors.

The second-largest standalone US LTL carrier says it will build four to six additional terminals this year, as demand for retail and industrial freight pushes LTL carriers to expand.

The asset-light, long-haul LTL carrier Roadrunner Freight is pursuing 'enterprise’ shippers as well as 3PLs as it re-engineers its network while focusing on service quality and operating margins.

Darrel Harris joined the former YRC Worldwide in November and will now lead efforts to transform Yellow into a profitable multi-regional less-than-truckload carrier.

US trucking companies already running at full capacity will soon be receiving even more freight as manufacturing activity expands.

Old Dominion Freight Line in February handled more and heavier LTL shipments than a year ago as shippers hit hard by winter storms searched for truck capacity.

COVID-related dock bans on truck drivers and greater use of digital receipts are leading to more clashes over short or damaged shipments, according to speakers at a T&LC webinar.