Demand for LTL capacity is rising even faster than carriers can add terminals and doors, pushing rates higher still.
Top 25 LTL Trucking Companies
Top 25 LTL Trucking Companies
In 2017, the 25 largest less-than-truckload carriers in the US increased their combined revenue 7.8 percent, as higher industrial production and disciplined pricing raised their topline. That sizable gain followed a flat year for LTL revenue in 2016 and a revenue drop of 0.5 percent in 2015, as freight demand tumbled in the latest slowdown in the long-running economic recovery.
The US economy grew at a faster rate in 2017, and strong industrial production helped create more pallets of goods to fill LTL terminals and trailers. The combined revenue of the 25 largest LTL carriers in the US reached a new record of $34.5 billion. Just two LTL carriers reported less revenue year over year in 2017, compared with 10 in 2016 and 12 in 2015.
Some of the fastest-growing LTL carriers, however, weren’t on the list. The smaller LTL and cartage companies that didn’t make the Top 25 grew faster as a group than their larger competitors, increasing combined revenue 8.5 percent to $3.2 billion. That revenue would make those small companies the fourth largest LTL carrier if they were one trucking company.
Key stories in LTL:
Top 25 LTL 2017: LTL carriers pave way to growth in challenging market
Top 25 LTL 2016: Lower fuel surcharges, soft demand squeeze revenue
Top 25 LTL 2015: Revenue up 9.1 percent for largest US LTL carriers
Top 25 LTL 2014: Revenue Growth at LTL Truckers Drops
Top 25 LTL 2013: Economic Slowdown Detours LTL Growth
Top 25 LTL 2012: LTL's Second Wind
Top 25 LTL 2011: LTL's Incomplete Recovery
J. Harwood Cochrane: Present at the Birth of Trucking
Press Releases
News & Analysis
10 May 2022
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.
09 May 2022
For-hire trucking employment soared past seasonal expectations in April, underscoring strong demand despite declining spot market pricing.
22 Apr 2022
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.
18 Apr 2022
Recent gains in manufacturing activity, including consumer goods production, suggest continued expansion of US freight demand while dampening worries about retail spending.
14 Apr 2022
Truckload spot rates have cooled considerably in the last 45 days, but a larger freight recession may not be on the horizon given demand remains strong in other modes of commercial transportation.
29 Mar 2022
Greater network efficiency and profits will be priorities for new FedEx leadership as e-commerce reshapes global markets.
16 Mar 2022
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.
14 Mar 2022
The sudden increase in fuel-related shipping costs caused by the war in Ukraine is already changing how shippers plan to move goods within the US, forcing them to consolidate shipments and even change modes.
11 Mar 2022
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.
09 Mar 2022
The truckload and less-than-truckload markets are closer than ever, as retail demand and inventory replenishment put pressure on capacity, Knight-Swift CEO David Jackson says.
07 Mar 2022
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.
28 Feb 2022
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.
23 Feb 2022
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.
08 Feb 2022
With delays and port congestion common, and transload capacity tight, less-than-truckload carriers are playing a bigger role in moving containerized freight inland.
04 Feb 2022
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.
01 Feb 2022
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.
26 Jan 2022
Proactive steps taken by US and Canadian motor carriers and shippers ahead of vaccine mandates for truck drivers are keeping cross-border freight flowing despite earlier fears of disruption and delays.
25 Jan 2022
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.
18 Jan 2022
XPO is adding new facilities and technology to its less-than-truckload network, reducing reliance on third parties.
06 Jan 2022
The fast-spreading variant of COVID-19 likely won’t affect trucking as much as warehousing and aviation, but its indirect impact will put more pressure on already high trucking costs.
17 Dec 2021
FedEx Freight handled higher freight volumes and helped with the delivery of FedEx Ground packages this fall, relying on price hikes and “judicious” network management.
16 Dec 2021
Once often discounted, general rate increases are going to stick as LTL trucking demand grows faster than capacity.
14 Dec 2021
The diversion of freight from intermodal rail to truck adds miles to import shipments, significantly increasing costs, the Cass Freight Index finds.
13 Dec 2021
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.
07 Dec 2021
The for-hire trucking industry lost jobs in November, as it typically does, but fewer than anticipated as couriers and warehouses grabbed the most new employees amid strong pre-holiday demand.
06 Dec 2021
The largest US truckload operator acquired its second LTL carrier this year, bringing it closer to a national network and more than $900 million in LTL revenue.
06 Dec 2021
Several factors are diminishing shipper expectations for new truck capacity in 2022, as Class 8 truck production and delivery dates are pushed out more than a year and backlogs build.
02 Dec 2021
The ninth-largest LTL carrier is in a race to build out its network capacity as more freight and heavier shipments hit its docks.
12 Nov 2021
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.
08 Nov 2021
An exemption to the US’ large employer vaccine mandate granted to outdoor workers may cover truck drivers, the American Trucking Association argues. But it’s not clear that exemption would apply to all types of truck drivers.
05 Nov 2021
Bigger than expected gains in warehousing and trucking in October are welcome amid ongoing reports of labor shortages.
05 Nov 2021
The Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate for large employers will affect truck capacity and pricing, but questions about the extent of its impact remain.
04 Nov 2021
A survey of independent truckers and small trucking firms by Truckstop.com and Bloomberg Intelligence found them optimistic about the potential for higher contract and spot rates next year.
03 Nov 2021
A truck driver survey underscores the threat of potential service disruptions from an upcoming US vaccine mandate for large employers, with 36 percent of drivers showing no interest in vaccination.
02 Nov 2021
Trucking companies are seeking an exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate being implemented by the US government for large employers, which they say would further disrupt already tight US trucking capacity.
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