Best Carrier Services for Manufacturers and Shippers

Maverick Transportation is a leading flatbed and specialized freight carrier with 1,600+ trucks and 40+ years in open deck transportation. Specializes in steel, glass, machinery, and heavy specialized freight across 48 states, Canada, and Mexico.

Knight-Swift is the largest full truckload carrier in North America with $7.41B revenue, 20,000+ tractors, and 80,000+ trailers. Rapidly expanding LTL network through AAA Cooper, MME, and Dependable Highway Express acquisitions targeting nationwide coverage by 2026.

FedEx Freight is the largest U.S. LTL provider by revenue (~$9B) with 400+ service centers, 30,000+ trucks, and 46,000+ employees. Offers Priority and Economy LTL tiers plus Retail Flex for MABD compliance. Spinning off as standalone entity in 2025.

R+L Carriers is a family-owned LTL carrier since 1965 with 21,000+ tractors and trailers handling 45,000 daily shipments. Covers all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Caribbean Islands.

Estes Express Lines is North America's largest privately owned freight carrier, debt-free with 90+ years of service. Features 300+ terminals, 10,500+ tractors, 40,000+ trailers, and 99% on-time delivery for retail MABD shipments. J.B. Hunt 2024 LTL Carrier of the Year.

TForce Freight (formerly UPS Freight) is a major LTL carrier owned by TFI International with 240+ terminals, 6,700 tractors, and 22,100 trailers. Covers all 50 U.S. states, 7 Canadian provinces, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Trimac Transportation is North America's safest tank truck carrier with 80 years experience, 4,000+ team members, and 140+ branches. Specializes in chemicals, energy products, dry bulk, and food-grade hauling with integrated transloading and tank wash services.

Schneider National is the #6 largest for-hire carrier in North America with $5.29 billion in 2024 revenue. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the company operates approximately 12,500+ trucks with 70% dedicated to contract services following the $390 million Cowan Systems acquisition in 2024. Schneider operates North America largest battery-electric vehicle fleet with nearly 100 Freightliner eCascadias, having logged 6+ million zero-emission miles. The company provides truckload, intermodal (via Union Pacific and CP Kansas City partnerships), and logistics services across dedicated, network, and brokerage segments.

Old Dominion Freight Line is one of the largest North American less-than-truckload motor carriers with approximately $5.87 billion in 2024 revenue. Founded in 1934 and headquartered in Thomasville, North Carolina, the company operates 260+ service centers with 11,284 tractors and over 46,700 trailers. Named #1 National LTL Carrier for Quality by Mastio and Company for 15 consecutive years (2010-2024), Old Dominion achieves 99% on-time delivery and 0.1% cargo claims ratio. The union-free, integrated network provides regional, inter-regional, and national LTL services along with expedited, container drayage, and international shipping capabilities.

Saia Inc. is a leading less-than-truckload carrier celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024. Headquartered in Johns Creek, Georgia, the company operates 211+ terminals across the United States and employs over 15,000 people. Saia has been one of the most aggressive carriers expanding since Yellow Corp bankruptcy, investing $1 billion in capital expenditures including $236 million for 17 former Yellow terminals. The company added 20+ new terminals in 2024 alone, with strategic focus on Western US expansion including Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota markets. Saia provides LTL, non-asset truckload, expedited freight, and logistics services.

Marten Transport is a NASDAQ-traded, debt-free refrigerated carrier with 3,000+ tractors specializing in temperature-controlled freight across 48 states, Canada, and Mexico. Features solar-powered fleet, 15 terminals, and comprehensive intermodal capabilities.

Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) is North America's largest tank truck transporter with 5,800+ tractors, 200+ terminals, 130 maintenance shops, and 26 tank wash facilities. Transports fuels, chemicals, food products, and merchant gases across 40 states and 7 Canadian provinces.

Landstar System is a technology-enabled, asset-light transportation logistics provider with $4.83 billion in 2024 revenue. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, the company operates through 1,050 independent agent offices and maintains relationships with 78,000+ capacity providers including 8,800 exclusive Business Capacity Owners (owner-operators). The company specializes in heavy haul and platform freight, achieving record $498 million in heavy haul revenue in 2024. With 17,600+ trailers and over 1,000 Million Mile safe drivers, Landstar provides comprehensive services including truckload, LTL, expedited, hazmat, cross-border, and intermodal transportation.

Heartland Express is a leading truckload carrier operating approximately 4,276 tractors and 9,345 trailers across refrigerated and dry van services. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, the company serves primarily the food and agricultural sectors which comprise 65% of revenue. Operating through four brands including legacy Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI, the company handles 14,500 loads weekly through 14 strategic terminals. With an average fleet age of 2.6 years for tractors, Heartland maintains one of the youngest fleets in the industry while achieving 98.6% on-time delivery performance.

Werner Enterprises is one of the largest truckload carriers in North America with $3.03 billion in 2024 revenue. Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, the company employs approximately 13,000 associates and operates one of the youngest truck and trailer fleets in the industry. Werner provides truckload transportation services through dedicated and one-way divisions, along with comprehensive logistics including truckload brokerage, intermodal, and final mile delivery. The company has achieved $50 million in cost savings in 2024 while focusing on operational efficiency improvements including 8% increase in one-way miles per truck year-over-year.

XPO is a leading LTL freight company covering 99% of U.S. zip codes with 9,700 tractors, 34,400 trailers, and 900+ service doors. Features Flex Fleet drop trailer network and in-house trailer manufacturing capability.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services is one of the largest transportation and logistics companies in North America with $12.09 billion in 2024 revenue. Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Lowell, Arkansas, the company operates North America largest intermodal fleet with 122,272 company-owned containers and 103,850 chassis units. The company employs approximately 20,000+ drivers across multiple divisions including Intermodal (JBI), Dedicated Contract Services (DCS), Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS), Final Mile Services (FMS), and Truckload (JBT). Intermodal operations represent 49% of total revenue, serving as the cornerstone of the company multimodal strategy.