TOP FOR-HIRE FLEETS Photo: Yuriy Vinnicov | 1358765425 | Getty Images
Annual list of largest for-hire trucking companies in the U.S. sees several shakeups in 2024 by Josh Fisher
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uring the first full year of post-pandemic freight business contractions, mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, and closures led to some of the most significant changes in the annual FleetOwner 500: For-Hire list. The 2024 rankings of the biggest for-hire U.S. trucking operations include 55 companies that weren’t ranked a year ago. The top 100 largest carriers feature five new entries compared to 2023. One of the biggest shakeups came in the Top 10 after 99-year-old Yellow shuttered in mid-2023 because of financial and labor problems that had plagued the less-than-truckload giant for years and finally caught up with the company, forcing it to file for bankruptcy. Its departure from the market allowed LTL rival Estes Express Lines to debut in the Top 10 at No. 9, a twospot jump from its 2023 ranking. Over the past year, former Top 10 fleet XPO completed two asset spinoffs so that the company could focus more on its LTL business. XPO was a Top 10 fleet as recently as 2022 before falling to No. 12 in 2023. This year, it ranks No. 13 after splitting into three independent publicly traded companies: XPO, GXO (which debuts at No. 223), and RXO (debuts at No. 480).
These rankings are based on the number of commercial power units registered to each company. FleetOwner’s data analysis partner, ProsperFleet, compiles the rankings through information reported to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System. ProsperFleet primarily draws upon the latest information filed by entities using form MCS-150 with FMCSA to tally power units, trailers, and drivers. This consistent approach ensures a level playing field when compiling data. ProsperFleet analysts also leverage company websites, press releases, and business databases to consolidate U.S. Department of Transportation operating entities under a single parent company. The data is cleansed, validated, standardized, and enhanced to create a comprehensive fleet overview. For companies with subsidiaries and divisions that possess USDOT numbers, the vehicle counts of the subsidiaries are incorporated into the parent company’s total. Due to this consolidation, fleets that were previously on the list but were acquired in late 2022 or 2023 will not appear on the 2024 list. Instead, their power unit counts are reflected in the totals of their respective parent companies. FO
Biggest rise No. 272 Xpress Global Systems (+204)
Biggest drop No. 500 Fast Trac Transportation (-239)
New Top 10 fleet No. 9 Estes Express Lines (No. 11 in 2023)
New Top 100 fleets
No. 81 Total Transportation Services (No. 138 in 2023) No. 86 Temco Logistics (No. 145 in 2023) No. 91 Bridgeway (No. 112 in 2023) No. 94 GardaWorld (NR in 2023) No. 97 Western Flyer Express (No. 101 in 2023)
55 new companies listed on 2024 FleetOwner 500
#94 GardaWorld, #143 Charger Logistics, #162 Brady Welding, #166 Cox Transportation Services, #197 AJR Trucking, #223 GXO, #225 Bulk Environmental, # 239 Southern Mail Service, #244 Jones Logistics, #247 R&R Family of Cos., #254 UNIS, #267 Global Transportation, #268 Paul Transportation, #273 Best Logistics Group, #298 ATL Express Group, #320 Maverick Logistics, #325 Autobahn Freight Lines, #330 Page Transportation, #344 Carolina Logistic, #356 Golden Mile Enterprises, #357 BKFS Logistics, #361 A&G Commercial Trucking, #362 TCI Transportation, #367 Valley Farm Transport, #372 NU-Way, #393 PFQ Cos., #394 Safeway Trucking / East Coast Warehouse, #399 Super Transport International, #402 Lawrence Cos., #406 MCI Express, #410 DHT, #413 Valley Express, #415 Tucker Freight Lines, #418 Russell Transport, #429 Usher Transport, #432 Palletized Trucking, #437 Kenco Logistic Services, #438 Parrish Dedicated Services, #442 Keller Trucking, #444 Meiborg Brothers, #446 Gillson Trucking, #448 Transcasa USA, #452 Rosedale Transport, #458 Bestway Express, #462 MigWay, #464 VRP Logistics, #468 FCI, #477 DSV Road Transport, #480 RXO, #482 Truline, #486 GRT Transportation, #487 Canal Cartage, #491 La-Z-Boy Logistics, #493 Quality Logistics, #497 AYR Motor Express.
22 FleetOwner | February 2024
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