Unarguably, trucking companies are considered the backbone of the transportation industry in the US. They provide effective logistic services to the thousands of businesses operating in the country, helping them move freight from one place to the other. In this post, we will discuss some of the biggest trucking companies in the US.
In fact, a recent survey emphasized that about 80% of the US heavily relies and depends on trucking companies for the transportation of goods. The majority of the essential goods—food, medicine, everyday goods, and other essential items—are being transported via trucking companies.
Heavy trucks carry millions of tons of these essential goods across the country every day. Leading trucking companies earn billions in profits by offering their logistic services to the businesses.
There are no surprises here, but around 1.2 million companies operate in the US trucking industry. In this post, let us look at some of the biggest trucking companies in the US and see how they contribute to the economy.
Biggest Trucking Companies in the US
Below, we have listed some of the biggest trucking companies in the US. Let us take a look at them.
1. UPS Inc.
Founded: 1907
Revenue: 97.3 billion USD (2021)
Employees: 543,000 (approximately)
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, US, UPS Inc. (abbreviation for United Parcel Service) is an American multinational shipping and receiving and supply chain management company. Originally known as the American Messenger Company, UPS specialized in telegraphs.
The company has now grown to become a Fortune 500 company and is one of the world’s biggest courier companies, with more than 500,000 employees. It goes without saying that this courier company has become a huge name in the supply chain industry.
2. FedEx Corp.
Founded: 1971
Revenue: 20.6 billion USD (2021)
Employees: 850,000+ (approximately)
Formerly known as Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, FedEx Corporation is one of the biggest trucking companies in the US. Based out of Memphis, Tennessee, FedEx was first established in 1971.
Specializing in transportation and e-commerce, this American-founded holding service delivers around 3 billion packages yearly.
3. XPO Logistics
Founded: 1989
Revenue: 12.8 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 44,000 (2021)
Established in 1989, XPO Logistics is another largest American freight transportation company that has been in the trucking business for a long time. With its corporate headquarters located in Greenwich, Connecticut, US, this transportation company provides less-than-truckload (LTL) and truck brokerage services in 18 countries.
4. J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.
Founded: 1961
Revenue: 12.16 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 29,056 (2019)
Based in Lowell, Arkansas, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is an American transportation and logistics company having 12,000 trucks and 100,000 trailers. It is noteworthy that J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. was one of the first biggest US trucking companies to have adopted the ‘container trucking’ approach.
As per this approach, the goods went directly to the trucks from trains and ships. This biggest trucking company provides freight transportation and logistics services, meeting the demands of Fortune 500 companies.
5. Knight-Swift Transport Services
Founded: 1990
Revenue: 4.67 USD (2020)
Employees: 28,000+ (2020)
Knight-Swift Transport Services is the fifth-largest US trucking company in Phoenix, Arizona, US. This motor carrier now has over 28,000 employees, 4,000 trucks, and 8,700 trailers. It provides different types of truckload, including asset-based dry and temperature controlled.
Knight-Swift Transport Services provides a one-stop shopping service through a range of trucks. Some of the trucks are owned by the company, whereas others are owner-operated. The flight terminals of the trucking company are situated in major traffic lanes and freight centers across US and Mexico.
6. YRC Worldwide
Founded: 1929
Revenue: 1.183 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 29,000 (2019)
Founded in 1929, YRC Worldwide is one of the biggest trucking companies in the US, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. With over 300 terminals, the company delivers around 11 million shipments annually, maintaining a dominant position in the American supply chain industry for decades.
Initially, in 1929, the company was formed as a taxi and bus company named Yellow Roadway Corporation. Later, the company merged with top-notch trucking companies based in the US and Canada Roadway and Reimer Express, respectively. Currently, YRC Worldwide specializes in less than truckload (LTL) freight.
7. Schneider
Founded: 1976
Revenue: 4,552.8 million USD (2021)
Employees: 15,225 (2021)
Hailing from Green Bay, Wisconsin, US, Schneider is another renowned trucking company that has been in the business for a long time. The company came into the establishment when Al Schneider, the founder, sold his family car to acquire a truck. Now, the company has employed over 6,000 drivers and 40,000 carriers. It has more than 180 properties across the world.
Schneider provides truckload, intermodal as well as logistics services. The services offered by the company also include regional, long-haul, expedited, dedicated, bulk, intermodal, brokerage, cross-dock logistics, pool point distribution, supply chain management, and port logistics.
8. Landstar Systems
Founded: 1968
Revenue: 6.5 billion USD (2021)
Employees: 1320 (2021)
Landstar Systems is another largest US-based transportation company specializing in logistics and third- party logistics, primarily operating across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
First founded in 1968, the trucking company now has over 10,000 independent drivers, 69,000 trucks, and 1,320 staff workers. Landstar Systems is known for transporting heavy and specialized items across the US and other regions.
9. Old Dominion
Founded: 1934
Revenue: 4.015 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 21,000 (2020)
Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is an American transportation company that provides regional, inter- regional, and national less than truckload logistics services. Based in Thomasville, North Carolina, US, the company offers services such as warehousing, household moving, and trade show shipping apart from the core LTL services.
At present, Old Dominion has over 21,000 employees, 5,000 tractors, around 22,500 trailers, and it is growing its business at an unprecedented rate.
10. TFI International
Founded: 1957
Revenue: 3.484 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 16,753 (2020)
Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, TFI International is a renowned Canadian-based company operating in transportation and logistics. The company has spread its logistics services across Canada, the US, and Mexico. At its core, the company has four major areas of operation, including less than a truckload (LTL), truckload (TL), logistics, and package and courier.
First established in 1957, TFI International has grown its business over the years and now is laden with 200 straight trucks, 50,000 trailers, 10,000 owner-operated trucks, and 14,000 company-owned power units.
The companies mentioned above are the top 10 trucking companies in the US. Let us look at some of the other largest trucking companies in the US and other regions.
11. Ryder Supply Chain Solutions
Founded: 1933
Revenue: US$8.925 billion (2019)
Employees: 39,900 (2019)
Generally known as Ryder, Ryder Supply Chain Solutions is a transportation and logistics company based in the US. It is especially renowned for its fleet of commercial rental trucks.
12. Hub Group
Founded: 1971
Revenue: 3.7 billion USD (2019)
Employees: 2000+ (2019)
Based in North America, Hub Group is a transportation management company that provides intermodal, truck brokerage, and logistics services.
13. Estes Express Lines
Founded: 1931
Revenue: 3.6 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 20,000 (2022)
Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, U.S, Estes Express Lines is an American freight transportation company providing regional, national, and international LTL freight shipping. It also offers offshore services to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico & more.
14. ArcBest
Founded: 1966
Revenue: 4.0 billion USD (2021)
Employees: 13,000 (2022)
ArcBest Corporation is a US-based freight and logistics solutions provider that aims to simplify complex supply chain challenges. It is an American holding company for TL and LTL freight, freight brokerage, household good moving, and transportation management companies.
15. Werner Enterprises
Founded: 1956
Revenue: 702.9 million USD (2021)
Employees: 12,784 (2022)
Werner Enterprises, Inc. is a transportation and logistics company based in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S, and it serves the US, Mexico, and Canada markets.
16. Penske Logistics
Founded: 1969
Headquartered in Pennsylvania, US, Penske Logistics provides state-of-the-art transportation and distribution solutions.
17. Roadrunner Transportation Systems
Founded: 2005
Revenue: $1,848 million USD (2019)
Employees: 4502
Based in Illinois, US, Roadrunner Transportation Systems provides high-quality, scalable LTL freight services to shippers in major metropolitan areas across the US.
18. Prime Inc.
Founded: 1970
Revenue: 2 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 2205
Prime Inc. is one of North America’s biggest and most successful freight carriers. It provides transportation solutions for truckload that is time-critical, temperature-sensitive, delicate, solid, or liquid perishable goods or durable construction materials.
19. NFI
Founded: 1932
Revenue: 3 billion USD (2020)
Employees: 15,000
NFI is a leading American-based third-party logistics provider that offers customers incredible domestic and global supply chain solutions.
20. U.S Express Enterprises
Founded: 1985
Revenue: 1,742 million USD (2020)
Employees: 8600+
U.S Express Enterprises is one of the biggest trucking companies in the US and is also known as the largest asset-based truckload carrier, offering services throughout the United States.
List of Truck Companies in USA
What’s surprising is that the list of truck companies in the USA doesn’t end here. Below, we have listed some more biggest trucking companies providing transportation and logistics solutions to their customers.
Rank Trucking Company Founded Employees
21 Daseke Inc. 2008 5930
22 UniGroup Inc. 1988 –
23 R+L Carriers 1965 –
24 CRST International 1955 7131
25 Saia Inc. 1924 10,300
26 C.R England 1920 8196
27 Kenan Advantage Group 1997 9000
28 Universal Logistics Holdings 1932 6335
29 Sirva Inc. 1998 –
30 Southeastern Freight Lines 1950 8989
31 Forward Air 1990 5411
32 Averitt Express 1958 9000
33 Anderson Trucking Service 1955 2143
34 Evans Delivery 1939 429
35 Crete Carrier Corp. 1966 6000
36 Purolator 1960 10,000
37 Lynden Inc. 1906 2658
38 Celadon Group Inc. 1985 5500
39 Ruan 1932 5700
40 KLLM Transport Services 1963 –
41 Atlas World Group 1948 650
42 Covenant Transportation Group 1986 5500
43 Pitt Ohio Transportation Group 1978 5751
44 Central Transport International N/A –
45 Quality Distribution 1984 –
46 Day and Ross 1950 3277
47 Cardinal Logistics 1992 4220
48 Marten Transport 1946 3600
49 PS Logistics 2004 3664
50 AAA Cooper Transportation 1955 5234
The biggest trucking companies in the US are using modern-day transportation management software for effective fleet management. LoadStop is the prime example of an efficient modern-day TMS solution for all trucking companies.
*Source(s): Truck Accident Attorney Network Blog, Atlanta Injury Lawyer, Supply Chain Digital.