Fleet Owner - February 2024 by Endeavor Digital Editions

2024 REGULATIONS ROADMAP Page 16

DIAGNOSTICS EVOLUTION Page 50

TOP FOR-HIRE FLEETS Page 22

COME SE

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ruck Show The Work T

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GAIN INTEL GAIN GROUND

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Contents

February 2024

SAFETY & OPERATIONS :: Feature

16 Regulations roadmap

The trucking industry faces some regulatory changes this year. Here are some of the issues fleet leaders should watch during this election year. Safety 411 20 Why we need federal rules

EQUIPMENT :: Cover Story

22 Top For-Hire Fleets of 2024 During the first full year of post-pandemic freight business contractions, mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, and closures led to some of the most significant changes in this year’s FleetOwner 500: For-Hire list.

Tire Tracks 48 Can tires learn from microchips?

Product Spotlight 49 Focus on oils and lubricants

TOP FOR-HIRE FLEETS

22 Photo: Yuriy Vinnicov | 1358765425 | Getty Images

TECHNOLOGY :: Feature

50 Fleet diagnostics evolve

Diagnostics and telematics are increasingly delivering cost savings and operational benefits. Remote diagnostics have evolved into a must-have tool for fleets over the past two decades. Diagnostic power is only growing.

16 Photo: NeoPhoto | 1077089216 | Getty Images

20 Photo: grandriver | 1152666175 | Dreamstime

NEWS & PERSPECTIVES

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Lane Shift Ahead

54 Private Fleets

News

55 Fleet Profile

10 Event Coverage

58 Last Word

Photo: Peterbilt

58 Photo: Josh Fisher | FleetOwner

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Online EVP/Transportation Kylie Hirko Kylie@fleetowner.com VP/Market Leader Michael R. Uliss michael@fleetowner.com Editorial Director Kevin Jones kevin@fleetowner.com @KevinJonesTBB

Photo: Volvo Trucks North America

Volvo reimagines VNL for the future Volvo Trucks North America has re-engineered its flagship long-haul truck to create a platform for current and future fuel technologies. Order books will open this spring, but you can get an early look at new features online. FleetOwner.com/NewVolvoVNL

Editor in Chief Josh Fisher josh@fleetowner.com @TrucksAtWork Senior Editor Jade Brasher jade@fleetowner.com Digital Editor Jenna Hume jennah@fleetowner.com Art Director Eric Van Egeren VP Customer Marketing Angie Gates angie@fleetowner.com

Online Exclusives

Customer Marketing Manager Leslie Brown leslie@fleetowner.com

Webinars Navigating uncertainty Discover how technology adoption can address uncertainties, optimize operations, and boost profitability. FleetOwner.com/ 21279567

S ign Up Delivered to your inbox, FleetOwner newsletters provide regular industry news and event updates, and breaking news alerts. Manage your email subscriptions at FleetOwner.com/subscribe.

Production Manager Patti Brown patti@fleetowner.com

Photo: 97645579 | Vitpho | Dreamstime

IdeaXchange Don’t believe the day cab myths that many people in the trucking industry believe—that aerodynamic devices are only for sleeper tractors. In their opinion, investing in aero devices on day cabs makes no sense. They are mistaken, according to Mike Roeth. FleetOwner.com/21281038

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Ad Services Manager Carmen Seeber Contributors Geert De Lombaerde David Heller Scott Keith Jason McDaniel Gary Petty, Private Fleets Editor Kevin Rohlwing Seth Skydel Endeavor Business Media, LLC CEO Chris Ferrell President June Griffin COO Patrick Rains CRO Reggie Lawrence Chief Digital Officer Jacquie Niemiec Chief Administrative and Legal Officer Tracy Kane EVP/Transportation Kylie Hirko

Published by Endeavor Business Media, LLC 30 Burton Hills Blvd., Suite 185 Nashville, TN 37215 800-547-7377

4 FleetOwner | February 2024

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[ Lane Shift Ahead ]

Ups and downs

Closures, mergers, acquisitions, and more paint the FleetOwner 500 green and red THE MORE TIME you spend in trucking, the

By Josh Fisher Editor in Chief

@TrucksAtWork

This year, we’re noting how each fleet’s 2024 ranking compares to 2023 with green and red arrows, giving readers a better feel for the ups and downs that come with moving freight in the 2020s.

more you get used to the ups and downs that come with an industry so vital to the U.S. economy. You will find a lot of ups and downs on our annual FleetOwner 500: ForHire list in this issue. And we’ve made them more prominent this year. Merger and acquisition deals over the past 14 months shook up this annual list of the largest for-hire motor carriers operating here in the U.S. The volatile economy that featured several interest rate hikes throughout the past two years might have curtailed even more moves by fleets, large and small. “Inflation, interest rate hikes, and the declining freight market were center stage in 2023,” according to the Tenney Group’s annual M&A report on the trucking industry issued in January. “Many [transport and logistics] business owners who expected to exit last year never began the process. Either they closed their doors suddenly to cut their losses, declared bankruptcy, or called an audible to wait until market conditions normalized. Consequently, buyers had fewer acquisition opportunities to consider for value creation.” The most significant 2023 closure—and probably this century—was Yellow Corp.’s bankruptcy. It is still reverberating through the industry (see our latest update on page 8). Yellow, founded 100 years ago, was one of 20 fleets delisted from the FleetOwner 500. Yellow, which ranked No. 6 in 2023, is one of five former FO500 fleets that ceased operations last year, joining Flagship Transport (No. 258), Meadow Lark Transport (No. 276), A-Logistics (No. 379), and Colonial Freight Systems (No. 478); a sixth, Matheson Trucking (No. 364), closed in late January. Other companies acquired the remaining 2023 FO500 fleets missing from this year’s rankings, merged with other carriers, or split into new companies. XPO Logistics (No. 12 in 2023) turned itself into three new

FO500 companies: XPO, GXO, and RXO, which now rank, respectively, Nos. 13, 223, and 480. Other fleets exiting the FO500 became part of bigger operations: U.S. Xpress Enterprises was acquired by Knight-Swift Transportation, which remains No. 3 this year, securing itself as the largest general freight carrier in the nation. (FedEx and UPS still run the largest for-hire fleets.) Top 200 acquisitions include JHT (No. 102 in 2023), now part of TFI, which moved up from No. 9 to No. 7; Outwest Express, which ranked 220 in 2023, was acquired by Cox Transportation. Ranked No. 166, Cox Transportation is one of 55 fleets debuting on the 2024 FO500, which ranks carriers by registered commercial power units. 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 System. You’ll see that Xpress Global, which acquired 7 Hills Transport, jumped 204 spots from No. 476 to No. 272 this year. That was the most significant move of the year. It is our second year partnering with ProsperFleet on the FO500, which we rebuilt from scratch in 2023 to ensure FleetOwner provides you the most detailed information about the companies that America relies on. Confident that we’ve developed a better, consistent approach to tallying power units and trailers, we highlight the ups and downs in this year’s FleetOwner 500: For-Hire by noting how each fleet’s ranking compares to the previous year with green and red arrows. Readers should get a better feel for the ups and downs that come with moving freight in the 2020s. Our ranking work isn’t over yet. We’ve already begun work on the FleetOwner 500: Private list, which will be published in April. FO

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NEWS AFTERMATH

More problems for Yellow bankruptcy Untying legal knots around former LTL giant could take a while by Geert De Lombaerde

ellow Corp.’s bankruptcy case is progressing on several fronts—but not yet on the one with the biggest dollar amounts at play. Yellow attorneys have exchanged filings with their peers at the Central States Pension Fund and the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. in U.S. Bankruptcy Court about how to resolve the company’s remaining pension obligations. Yellow, No. 6 on the 2023 Fleet Owner 500: For-Hire list before it shut down in July, claimed in December that PBGC’s early-2023 bailout of Central States meant the pension plan couldn’t also claim billions from Yellow. International Brotherhood of Teamsters-affiliated Central States had asked Yellow to cover nearly $5 billion in withdrawal liabilities (the company’s alleged share of unfunded benefits) and another $900 million in so-called participation guarantees. Yellow called those claims an attempt to collect “hundreds of millions of dollars in damages it has not sustained” and said pension officials were asking for “free money.” Lawyers for Central States responded in early January not by directly addressing the legal merits of their claim but by saying that various federal courts have held that a dispute over pension withdrawal liabilities needs arbitration. On the same day, PBGC attorneys told the court that Yellow was wrong to view the bailout (enacted under the scope of the American Rescue Plan Act) as letting companies in multiemployer pension funds off the hook for their obligations. In addition, PBGC’s representatives said that Yellow’s challenge to Central States’ claims amounts to “efforts to convince the court to disregard a PBGC regulation that has the force of law.” In short: Yellow has no leg to stand on in requesting relief from Central States because it is actually challenging PBGC’s

Photo: Yellow Corp.

rules for doling out pension plan rescue funds. If Yellow wants to contest those rules, a district court—not Judge Craig Goldblatt’s bankruptcy courtroom—is the place to do that. “A challenge to the regulation is not a matter that could only arise within the context of a bankruptcy case and is a noncore matter subject to review by a district court,” PBGC lawyers wrote. In a separate filing on Jan. 19, Central States’ attorneys amplified PBGC’s argument. They said that, in looking to dump their pension funding claims, Yellow executives are doing the bidding of MFN Partners, the hedge fund that rapidly built equity of more than 40% during Yellow’s pre-bankruptcy weeks, and other investors looking to cash in “lottery tickets” in the form of liquidation proceeds. The first auction of Yellow real estate holdings in December gave some investors hope that money will be left over once the company’s debts and other claims have been resolved. Untying this legal knot could take a while: Attorneys earlier this month gave each other more time to prepare their cases, moving a hearing from January to Valentine’s Day.

Injury claims and new shareholder

While the pension-related track of filings centers on the largest money pool

in question, the most significant filings in Yellow’s bankruptcy journey arguably belongs to addressing personal injury and insurance claims. Company representatives, insurance carriers, and people with accident-related claims began working on settlements last fall. Some of those claims are closer to being resolved, but, as with the Central States question, hearings about many more have been pushed into February. In early January, a more significant individual claim also surfaced: Southeastern Freight Lines (No. 49 on the 2024 FleetOwner 500) provided the court with an update on five leases Yellow had signed with Southeastern in 2009. In addition to more than $130,000 in back rent and taxes, Southeastern’s lawyers claim Yellow also needs about $9 million to fulfill its repair obligations on the Southeastern properties. And lastly, for this update: The investment team at MFN isn’t alone in viewing Yellow’s assets as a decent—in the words of Central States’ lawyers—“lottery ticket.” Around Christmas, Conversant Capital managers told the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission they controlled 5% of Yellow’s common shares. Based on other SEC filings, Conversant last fall managed about $330 million and had built its entire Yellow stake since Sept. 30. The firm’s LinkedIn page says its principals aim to be “the most flexible capital provider to real estate and real estate-adjacent companies” while investing “opportunistically across public and private markets and capital structures.” Conversant’s filing came after Yellow shares tripled to about $4.50 on the heels of the company’s successful first real estate auction. After surging past $5 in December, it fell back to around $4 Jan. 22. That values the company’s equity at over $200 million—six times what it was worth when its doors closed. FO

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2024

Bosch doubles down on hydrogen Along with its fuel-cell stack, supplier plans H2 truck engine by Josh Fisher Mike Mansuetti, Bosch North America president, speaks during CES 2024 Media Day. Photo: Josh Fisher I FleetOwner

ith one eye still on electrification mobility, Bosch will launch a hydrogen engine for heavy-duty longhaul applications as the Tier One supplier sees hydrogen as a critical part of future global energy systems, according to company executives at CES 2024. Last summer, the supplier began producing hydrogen fuel-cell stacks for U.S., Europe, and China truckmakers at its Stuttgart, Germany, plant. Nikola, here in the U.S., was the first North American OEM to integrate the Bosch H2 technology into its Tre FCEV Class 8 zero-emission tractor. “When it comes to energy-focused innovations, we are pursuing a dual approach,” Tanja Rückert, a member of Bosch’s management board, said during Bosch’s CES 2024 Media Day presentation at Mandalay Bay on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, the day before the massive consumer electronics show opened to the public across the city. She said that two-pronged approach includes optimizing traditional energy sources to improve efficiency and reduce costs. “Electrification, in particular, for its tremendous potential as a pathway to achieving net-zero goals in multiple different ways, including personal or commercial transport,” Rückert explained. “We are also looking beyond traditional energy sources for more sustainable alternatives. We are focusing, in

particular, on hydrogen, as we believe it will be central to meeting our future climate-neutral energy needs. Here, we are active at multiple points along the hydrogen value chain—from building up a production and supply infrastructure to developing innovative new hydrogen-based technologies.”

Bosch looks to strengthen ‘hydrogen value chain’

Mike Mansuetti, Bosch North America president, said the company’s consumer and commercial energy-optimization initiatives are critical parts of its growth strategies on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. “At Bosch, we’re convinced that hydrogen is one of the keys to decarbonizing our energy supply,” he said. “We’re investing heavily in hydrogen technologies and developing solutions along the hydrogen value chain.” Bosch’s hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain is leading those efforts on the heavy-duty transportation side, Mansuetti said. “In addition, we’re working on components for a hydrogen engine that uses the fuel directly—as opposed to first converting into electricity,” he explained. When powered by green hydrogen, this engine would be practically carbon neutral, according to Bosch. “The technology can offer the performance of a diesel engine. On top of that, the climate benefit of the hydrogen engine

increases even more when you use green hydrogen. It will be suitable for commercial vehicles in the on- and off-road segments, such as heavy-duty long-haul trucks and construction machinery.” The Bosch president said the engine, which would be offered for both port and direct injection, is expected to launch later this year. If successful, Bosch would join other Tier One suppliers, such as Cummins, with an H2 engine designed for the trucking industry.

H2 building blocks set up net-zero future

Hydrogen transportation investments are growing worldwide. Europe boasts some of the most public hydrogen-fueling stations in the world. Here in the U.S., the federal government is pumping more than $7 billion into regional green hydrogen hubs to increase domestic production of the potential carbon-free fuel. Globally, more than $50 billion in funding is available for hydrogen projects, Mansuetti said. “The H2 hubs are an important building block for establishing a hydrogen infrastructure,” Mansuetti said. “We at Bosch support these measures and are exploring participation in several of these hubs. Our goal is to help drive forward the clean-energy economy in North America. This is an area where we can contribute our expertise in the production and provisioning of hydrogen.” In contrast to battery-electric trucks, which must sacrifice cargo capacity for large batteries and have long recharging times, hydrogen fuel cells and engines have the potential to offer similar refueling times and range as diesel-powered trucks.

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2024 “That is where we need the breakthrough to demonstrate that the maturity level—even with this completely new process and supply chain—is truly effective,” Thomas Wintrich, Bosch’s head of fuel cell mobility solutions, said while FleetOwner visited the Stuttgart production facility last summer. “We now have the opportunity to share experiences with our first customers. This is not only with Nikola but also in China, where our trucks are already operating. We have already accumulated nearly 3 million kilometers [1.86 million miles] on our trucks in China.” Nikola produced 42 Class 8 FCEVs last year, selling 35 and using the others for demonstrations and fleet field testing. It offered CES attendees ridealongs in its fuel-cell truck. “What an effort by our dedicated and passionate team to create—and

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A look inside the Nikola Tre FCEV cab in operation on Las Vegas streets. Photo: Josh Fisher I FleetOwner

deliver—what we believe is the only U.S.-designed and -assembled Class 8 hydrogen fuel-cell electric truck on the road today,” Steve Girsky, Nikola chief executive, said. Nikola’s FCEV has a range up to 500 miles and can refuel in 20 minutes, according to vehicle specs. The startup OEM claims its truck offers one of the longest ranges of all commercially

available zero-emission Class 8 trucks. The truck is being marketed for fleets operating drayage, intermodal, metroregional truckload, and less-than-truckload applications. “Our goal is to introduce a better, cleaner way to deliver goods to the North American market in a reliable package,” Girsky said. “Our FCEV customer pilot programs have shown strong results, with truck uptime at 98%—crucial for efficient fleet usage.” Bosch appears as bullish on the future fleet fuel as its U.S. partner. “As our business in the area of hydrogen production develops, we’re actively exploring local manufacturing to support,” Mansuetti said. “So, on the one hand, we’re enhancing energy efficiency and driving forward electrification. And on the other, we’re pursuing hydrogen as a more sustainable power source.” FO

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2024

Truck tech shines in Vegas by Josh Fisher

KODIAK SAYS IT’S READY FOR DRIVERLESS TRUCKING

Kodiak Robotics used CES to show off its driverless-ready Class 8 truck, designed for scaled deployment beginning this year. The road-ready Kodiak truck has redundant safety-critical hardware the company said is needed to scale up commercial driverless operations. The truck uses Kodiak’s sixth generation of AV technology, developed over the past five years. During that time, Kodiak’s real-world testing included 5,000 loads hauled more than 2.5 million miles on U.S. highways. This new truck technology will be used for Kodiak’s driverless operations, which it plans to initiate between Dallas and Houston later this year. The latest Kodiak truck includes

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February 2024

redundancy across all safety-critical functions, including a redundant braking system, redundant steering, redundant power, and Kodiak’s high-integrity actuation control engine system. While some of its rivals are partnering with truck OEMs to develop autonomous driving, the Kodiak Driver is vehicle-agnostic and designed for upfitting. Kodiak plans to roll out its sixth-generation truck to multiple vehicle types. The latest Kodiak truck features twice the GPU processor cores, 1.6x greater processing speed, 3x more memory, and 2.75x greater bandwidth to run software processes than Kodiak’s first-generation truck. Kodiak’s driverless truck design is now feature-complete across both hardware and software, according to company leaders.

AURORA TURNS TO CONTINENTAL FOR AV SYSTEM PRODUCTION

Continental and Aurora Innovation showed off a Peterbilt 579 equipped with Aurora’s self-driving truck technology at CES. The companies recently finalized the design and architecture of the future fallback system and hardware of the Aurora Driver, a Level 4 autonomous driving system that Continental plans to start producing in 2027. The companies partnered to manufacture autonomous trucking systems. Aurora is also working with Continental’s engineering team to update its industrialized fallback system for 2027 production. This dual engineering approach aims to reduce the exposure of the primary and fallback system to single points of failure. “From day one, we knew we’d need to build a strong ecosystem of partners to bring this technology to market

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safely and at a commercial scale,” said Chris Urmson, co-founder and CEO at Aurora. “Finalizing the design of our future hardware is a meaningful step toward making the unit economics of the Aurora Driver compelling and building a business for the long term.”

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DAIMLER TRUCK’S TORC TEAMS WITH AEVA ON LIDAR

850SA

Torc Robotics’ next generation of ultralong-range lidar will come from Aeva, a sensing and perception systems provider, the Daimler Truck subsidiary announced during CES. Under the production collaboration, Aeva will supply its latest Aeva Atlas automotive-grade 4D lidar technology to Daimler and collaborate with Torc on its Level 4 autonomous Freightliner Cascadia truck platform, which it plans to commercialize by 2027. Daimler intends to integrate the lidar sensors directly into its production process, allowing customers to spec out the AV technology. Torc plans to offer its virtual driver technology and its supporting “mission control” services as a subscription service. Its driving software will use Aeva’s perception software, built around Aeva’s instant velocity data, to detect objects faster, further away, and with higher accuracy. The multiyear collaboration begins in 2024, with Aeva’s start of production by 2026 and Daimler Truck production ramp by 2027.

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GATIK AND GOODYEAR UP AV TIRE INTELLIGENCE

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Goodyear Tire & Rubber and Gatik AI, an autonomous middle-mile B2B logistics company, are expanding tire intelligence technology integration into an autonomous driving system. Gatik’s autonomous fleet of Class 3 to Class 7 box trucks operates on public streets in the U.S. and Canada, transferring goods for grocery and other retailers. The fleet is being equipped with Goodyear Endurance RSA tires with Goodyear SightLine technology, the company’s tire intelligence solution. Company leaders said

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2024 this enables Gatik to advance its fleet operations’ safety and accuracy while improving delivery uptime and reliability. This year, Gatik plans to implement the intelligent tire solution into a significant portion of its autonomous fleet. “Being the vehicle’s only contact point to the road, the tire can play a pivotal role in enabling the vehicle to react like

a driver would,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear SVP of global operations and chief technology officer. “Gatik is revolutionizing the autonomous technology space, and by providing real-time insights through intelligent tire data, we can support Gatik’s autonomous driving system to become even more safe, reliable, and efficient.”

NIKOLA’S TRE DRAWS CONSUMER ATTENTION

Nikola used CES to show off its hydrogen fuel-cell electric Class 8 truck, which is powered by a Bosch fuel cell. The company sold 35 of the zero-emission trucks in 2023 and produced more than 40 as it continues to ramp up production here in the U.S. Tre ride-along trips around Las Vegas drew a lot of attention. The company also promoted its emerging hydrogen potential fuel energy supply infrastructure through its HYLA brand. Nikola’s FCEV features a range of up to 500 miles and a 20-minute estimated fueling time. The OEM is initially eyeing fleet customers in drayage and intermodal operations to regional truckload and less than truckload, along with specialized hauling use cases.

PETERBILT SHARES SUPER TRUCK II SUCCESSES

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The Peterbilt SuperTruck II was a prominent feature of Paccar’s CES 2024 exhibition booth, which also featured its Class 8 hydrogen fuel-cell tractor. First unveiled in 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy project to improve long-haul Class 8 vehicle freight-ton efficiency by at least 100% exceeded those goals, which reached 132%. The sleek Peterbilt SuperTruck II features an aerodynamic shape with a center drive position that improves overall visibility, a right-hand entry stand-up door, pop-out windows, cameras in place of mirrors, and custom tires and wheels. The program focused on advanced, highly efficient powertrain systems and vehicle technology to meet progressive emissions standards and tractor-trailer vehicle safety and regulatory requirements that influence freight efficiency. Other Peterbilt SuperTruck II features included a mild hybrid powertrain, a waste heat recovery system, and a lightweight chassis for improved fuel economy. The split-level integral cab and sleeper features a large, wrap-around dash, 15-inch digital dash display for

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2024 virtual gauges and critical vehicle data, an additional display for HVAC, infotainment and navigation controls, an articulated seat that rotates left and right, and a pull-out desk.

OTTONOMY AIMS TO EXPAND LAST-MILE ROBOT FLEET

First- and last-mile delivery startup Ottonomy plans to grow its fleet of 50 Ottobot autonomous robots into the hundreds as it expands its hyperlocal delivery network on college campuses, airports, and urban sidewalks. The U.S.-based company announced a strategic partnership with Harbor Lockers and introduced Ottobot Locker, its customized locker-on-robot, at CES 2024. Ottobot Locker will support robot delivery options to Harbor Lockers locations to streamline customer services for pickup, dropoff, and delivery. In addition, Ottonomy has partnered with Cooler Keg to introduce Ottobot

Brew at CES, which would turn the delivery robots into on-demand deliverers of cold brew coffee and beer within geofenced areas. Ottonomy’s Level 4 autonomous technology is customized for the development of Ottobot Locker in its partnership with Harbor Lockers, which was on display at both companies’ CES booths. Ottobot Locker runs on the Harbor Lockers’ app ecosystem and brings a revolutionary dimension to fixed smart lockers by adding mobility for first- and last-mile delivery.

INDIGO’S SMARTWHEELS EVS NEAR PRODUCTION

Indigo Technologies has two light-duty electric cargo vans that it intends to produce at Foxconn’s Lordstown, Ohio, production plant. Hon Hai Technology Group, known as Foxconn in the U.S., invested in the EV startup late last year. Indigo’s technologies include what

Weigh. Pay. Go.

it said is the world’s first road-sensing SmartWheels, designed to make lightefficient EVs feel smooth and stable with more cargo space because of redesigned vehicle architecture. According to the company, the SmartWheels motors fit into each wheel to free up more cabin space while providing two degrees of freedom controlled by software. The Indigo Dash Cargo van, designed for grocery, food, and package delivery, features 90 cubic feet of cargo space, offers Level 2 and fast recharging of its 30 kWh battery, and a 143-mile range. It is one of two Indigo Technologies last-mile electric delivery vans it plans to begin producing later this year. FO

See more CES 2024 coverage and images on Last Word, Page 58, and at FleetOwner.com.

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SAFETY & OPERATIONS FEATURE

2024 Regulations Roadmap Photo: NeoPhoto | 1077089216 | Getty Images

The trucking industry faces some regulatory changes this year. Here are some of the topics for fleets to watch by Scott Keith

gridlocked U.S. Congress could be good news for those in the trucking industry who prefer less regulatory guidance from lawmakers. But a do-nothing House and Senate doesn’t stop the federal bureaucracy from fiddling with laws already on the books. Some regulatory efforts in 2023 gave those bureaucrats a jump start this presidential election year. “2023 was a pretty busy year for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in terms of proposing a lot of things, but what we don’t have is a lot of final dates of when things are expected to take effect,” Brandon Wiseman, a lawyer and the owner and president of Trucksafe Consulting, told FleetOwner. “It seems like we should see them take effect in 2024, but we just don’t know.”

SMS, CSA, Safety changes

FMCSA proposed changes to its Safety Measurement System, the methodology used to measure carrier Compliance, Safety, and Accountability scores. One of the significant differences is that the categories used to determine CSA scores would change. SMS currently uses seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs. Though the proposal would still use seven BASICs, two changes are more significant than all the others, according to Wiseman. The Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC would be combined with the existing Unsafe Driving category, so all drug and alcohol violations discovered during roadside inspections would impact motor carriers’ Unsafe Driving BASIC.

“Maybe the biggest change of all,” Wiseman said, “is that we are going to split the Vehicle Maintenance category into two separate categories. One will continue to be called Vehicle Maintenance, and the new one will be called Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed.” Wiseman said that the Vehicle Maintenance category is currently the largest BASIC with the most data, making it difficult for carriers and FMCSA to determine what behaviors are causing high scores. By breaking the BASIC into two subcategories, it would be easier to parse the information. “The Driver Observed category is going to be maintenance issues that FMCSA thinks should have been caught by the driver had they done a thorough pre-trip inspection,” Wiseman said.

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Photo: NeoPhoto | 1077089216 | Getty Images

“Things like lights, burned-out light bulbs, tire issues—those types of things that should be obvious in a pre-trip inspection and that just weren’t caught. If I’m a motor carrier that has a high ‘Driver Observed’ BASIC, I know that the root cause of my problems is most likely going to be drivers not doing thorough enough pre-trip inspections.” By streamlining SMS, the hope is fleets would interpret CSA scores more easily. If a score in a particular category is high, carriers could address it before it becomes a systemic problem, he said. Though the changes will likely occur in 2024, they won’t necessarily change how fleets operate daily, Wiseman said. However, FMCSA has a preview website where carriers can log into their existing accounts and see how the proposed changes impact their CSA scores. If carriers think safety scores will worsen under the new methodology, Wiseman recommends they start now to improve safety. “It’s not just the Department of Transportation that’s looking at your CSA scores,” Wiseman emphasized, noting that shippers and brokers check scores before doing business with fleets, plaintiff’s attorneys check scores after crashes, and commercial insurers use scores to set rates.

Crash Preventability Determination

Last year, FMCSA announced it plans to expand the not preventable classification in the Crash Preventability Determination Program, which would allow carriers to note more non-preventable accidents, leaving CSA scores unaffected. Since 2020, CPDP allowed carriers or drivers involved in specific crash types to submit Requests for Data Review through FMCSA’s DataQs system. FMCSA reviews the RDRs and police reports to determine if a crash was preventable or not, determining whether the event affects carriers’ CSA scores. CPDP currently accepts 16 specific crash types as eligible for preventability consideration. FMCSA proposed adding

“More than 350,000

enabling them to run their

“The problem historically with the DataQs system is the lack of due process,” Wiseman said. “It’s typically the very same agency that wrote up the violation that is reviewing my appeal. And you can imagine they’re not inclined to change their minds.” FMCSA proposed creating an independent appeals board above those initial appeal levels, meaning fleets could appeal lower-level decisions.

own business and choose

Safety fitness determinations

truckers choose to work as independent contractors because of the economic opportunity it creates and the flexibility it provides,

their hours and routes.” – Chris Spear, American Trucking Associations

the following four crash types to the list: • A motorist operating in the same direction struck the commercial motor vehicle on the side. Currently, the crash type is limited to side strikes at the very rear of the vehicle. • The CMV was struck because another motorist entered the roadway from a private driveway or parking lot. • The CMV was struck because another motorist lost control of their vehicle. • Any other type of crash outside the CPDP categories if there is video depicting the sequence of events. “The expansion of the Crash Preventability Determination Program, I think, will be a good development for motor carriers,” Wiseman said. “That program has suffered over the last few years from being too narrow in scope, in my opinion, and in the opinions of many motor carriers we work with.”

DataQs changes

FMCSA also proposed creating an independent appeals board for its DataQs system, the only way carriers can challenge safety violations on their SMS accounts. If a driver gets written up for an hours-of-service violation—but the driver’s fleet believes he was compliant, and the law enforcement agency was mistaken—it sends an appeal through the DataQs system.

FMCSA proposed changing how it conducts safety fitness determinations, which use existing motor carrier data and information collected during in-person compliance reviews to form a three-tiered rating system of satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. This rating is generated if a carrier undergoes a DOT audit. In 2019, FMCSA and its state partners conducted 11,671 compliance reviews of more than 567,000 active interstate motor carriers—about 2% of all carriers. Though FMCSA did not detail how it plans to change the process, Wiseman suspects that in 2024, the agency could propose “something entirely different” than the three-tier system, perhaps incorporating CSA scores into conducting safety fitness determinations.

New entrant process

Another FMCSA proposal considered adding a “proficiency examination” to new applicant carriers as part of a revised New Entrant Safety Assurance Process. According to Wiseman, this means new carriers must take a knowledge test to receive a DOT number.

Oral fluid testing

Administration ease is a reason to allow oral fluid testing, “but probably the more significant one is to cut down on cheating on these tests. Urinalysis by its nature is very rarely an observed test,” Wiseman said, which gives drivers a chance to substitute or dilute their urine. But oral fluid testing is observed by the collector.

February 2024 | FleetOwner.com 17

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SAFETY & OPERATIONS FEATURE Wiseman said he does not expect oral fluid testing to increase drug violations significantly, but weeding out cheaters could create an uptick.

Speed limiters

Speed limiters are a controversial technology resisted by many trucking stakeholders. In its September 2023 Significant Rulemaking Report, DOT stated that FMCSA is preparing a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to follow up with its joint 2016 NPRM with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating more than 26,000 lb. would require a speed limiter. “On the FMCSA agenda for 2023 was supposed to be a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to reinitiate the talk about these speed limiters, and that got much blowback, as it did back in 2016,” Wiseman said. He noted that several lawmakers in Washington have also balked at the idea. FMCSA initially published, then removed, an exact number for the speed limiter—68 mph—from its notice of proposed rulemaking. The agency said the exact speed limit would be determined later.

AEB mandate

NHTSA and FMCSA proposed mandating automatic emergency braking systems on Class 3 and larger vehicles. According to Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs and technical training at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, the agencies are targeting April to issue a final rule. However, the mandate for manufacturers to install AEB technology on all new trucks wouldn’t take effect until 2027. The notice of proposed rulemaking states that a final rule will not require retrofitting for currently active vehicles. Critics of AEB technology point out the systems can sometimes engage when they shouldn’t, and Andersky acknowledged that false braking is an issue. To mitigate this, he said that it is essential

Hundreds of industry members disagree with NHTSA about side underride guard analysis. Photo: AngelWing

that carriers train the drivers on the technologies, telling FleetOwner, “It’s crash mitigation, not crash avoidance.” Andersky warned that drivers who push the pedal to the floor can override the collision mitigation technology. In order to ensure the AEB systems function as intended, fleets must inform drivers how to both activate and avoid these overrides. A speed limiter mandate by the federal government could result in more drivers instinctively pushing harder on the pedal in order to exceed the limiter’s capacity. “It is driver assistance, not driver replacement,” he noted. “It’s good to know that the technology is there to back them up because even the best driver can have a bad day. And this helps it from becoming a really bad day.” Andersky does not foresee AEB system maintenance as a barrier because suppliers like Bendix and OEMs make their diagnostic technology available for technicians. Fleets must ensure that tires and brakes are maintained, however, if the AEB systems work correctly. Installing AEB technology would increase manufacturing costs, which could potentially be passed on to truck buyers, “but the cost that’s being added compared to the overall price of the vehicle is relatively small, and versus the benefit that can be derived, it is relatively high,” Andersky said. “Fleets wouldn’t

buy this if they weren’t getting a return on their investment.”

Side underride guards

Last April, NHTSA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and a study mandated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on side underride guards. NHTSA completed the study in 2022 and estimated that guards would save 17 lives and prevent 69 serious injuries annually. In 2020, NHTSA calculated the total cost of installing underride guards on a trailer, including hardware costs and paying for an average of three hours of installation labor, to be $2,990. At 260,000 new trailers sold annually, the total annual cost for equipping all applicable new trailers with side underride guards would be about $832 million. Equipping a new trailer with the guards is estimated to generate about $490 to $640 in lifetime safety benefits. Some 2,000 individuals and organizations responded to agency questions during the extended comment period that closed in July. Key stakeholders broadly agree that NHTSA’s cost-benefit analysis is flawed. The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA), which represents domestic and international manufacturers responsible for approximately 90% of the heavy-duty trailers manufactured

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for use in the U.S., consistently has stated that it would support the implementation of side underride guards “if they ever become both justified and technologically feasible.” However, TTMA suggests the assumed effectiveness of the side guards “seems unrealistically high” and calls for additional data on crashes, including seat belt use and crash angles, noting “significant gaps” in the areas protected by underride guards. Furthermore, TTMA has not seen any data supporting any significant benefit from side underride guards for impacts exceeding 40 mph. DOT might not be aware of “the degree of customization” the trailer industry employs to meet customer needs, TTMA notes. Similarly, TTMA members expressed concerns about side underride guards, ground clearance, and the risks posed by damaged guards. NHTSA has launched a stakeholder group in order to study the issue further in 2024.

Independent contractor rules

In January, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule designed to help employers and workers better

understand when a worker qualifies as an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. However, for many business and trucking interests, the latest federal analysis is not the government help they sought. The rule takes effect on March 11 and rescinds the Trump administration’s 2021 Independent Contractor Rule, which the department contends is inconsistent with “the law and longstanding judicial precedent.” The American Trucking Associations, in response, pledged to work with Congress to defeat the “ill-advised rule.” “I can think of nothing more un-American than for the government to extinguish the freedom of individuals to choose work arrangements that suit their needs and fulfill their ambitions,” Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, said. “More than 350,000 truckers choose to work as independent contractors because of the economic opportunity it creates and the flexibility it provides, enabling them to run their own business and

choose their hours and routes. That freedom of choice has been an enormous source of empowerment for women, minorities, and immigrants pursuing the American Dream.” The ATA statement argues that the trucking industry has used independent contractors “since the inception” of interstate trucking and that court decisions over the last 90 years have “continually reaffirmed the legitimate role” independent contractors play in the U.S. economy. Emphasizing that the rule is misguided and that “radical California agendas have no place in federal policy,” ATA also pledged to oppose Julie Su’s nomination to lead the Labor Department. As Secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, Su oversaw the implementation of the state’s controversial AB5, a law that essentially reclassified independent contractors as employees. FO

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SAFETY 411 by David Heller

Why we need federal rules

Supply chains could be affected by HOS rules in California and Washington AS MUCH AS THINGS change, they stay the same. The longstanding joke in our industry is that the issues we face now are basically the same as they were 20 years ago. So, if you left trucking at some point in the past two decades and just got back, you can pick up right where you left off.

Photo: grandriver | 1152666175 | Dreamstime

Having a patchwork of state laws that would affect the daily movement of freight would be inefficient at best and chaos at worst. You may have thought the California meal and rest break rules for drivers was put to bed a couple of years ago. It was a significant industry win when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ruled that federal rules pre-empted California’s rules and, therefore, were unenforceable under the Trump Administration. But just when you think that these contested rules are behind us, they continue to rear their ugly heads. In August, FMCSA announced that it would begin accepting petitions for waivers from its decision to preempt state meal and rest break laws,

specifically those in California and Washington. You could have timed this with an egg timer as both states submitted petitions for waivers to implement their aforementioned meal and rest break laws. We can add waiver petitions to death and taxes as the few guarantees in life and trucking regulations. In the scope of our industry, this would be fine if the West Coast was an island. But California and Washington are really just part of a broad network of interstate commerce. The world has gotten smaller, and intrastate freight differs from what it once was. Having a patchwork of state laws that would affect the daily movement of freight would be inefficient at best and chaos at worst. Time and again, the supply chain has demonstrated that a singular standard of regulations is imperative to the practical and proficient means of delivering freight. Regulations for the federal hours of service already mandate the breaks that professional truck drivers must comply with and were developed based on safety and driver fatigue. By instituting state-bystate laws, efficiency, safety, and standardization would likely be dismissed for an industry that has demonstrated and thrived on knowing that one federal rule works best for all. Clearly, the states must demonstrate that their meal and rest break rules are “as safe or safer” than the federal standard, making this proposition difficult and one for which FMCSA’s pre-emption makes the most sense. Generally speaking, these rules would take on a life of their own once they become enforceable. Consider a professional truck driver operating in interstate commerce and required to travel north from Washington, D.C., up the East Coast. The number of state border crossings makes one

federal standard a necessity. Parking to accommodate these breaks would become even more of an endangered species than it already is, and the shoulders of highway on- and off-ramps would become even more populated with trucks and drivers taking mandated breaks in each state just by traveling through them. Essentially, requiring more daily stops will force drivers to find parking in areas not traditionally made for commercial motor vehicles to take these breaks. Ultimately, these state meal and rest breaks would undermine safety by forcing drivers to stop driving at times when they do not need a break and park in locations that could be deemed unsafe. Stringent schedules do not allow professional truck drivers to determine their break schedule. This could incentivize traveling at higher speeds to comply with a state-by-state rule that adds a ticking clock to an industry already complying with federal regulations. Federal hours of service rules aim to ensure that professional truck drivers operate safely between states and to eliminate unnecessary confusion. Knowing that, it is clear that one federal standard overseeing how drivers operate demonstrates better safety benefits and improved efficiencies than a state-bystate approach. We need to support the one approach that has served our industry well and eliminate any unnecessary ambiguities that could jeopardize the efficient movement of freight and the safe operation of our nation’s professional truck drivers. FO David Heller | Dheller@truckload.org David Heller, CDS, is senior VP of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association. He is responsible for interpreting and communicating industry-related legislation to TCA members.

20 FleetOwner | February 2024

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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

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.

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ages

Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

FedEx

Memphis, TN

155448

117280

38168

139752

Package/LTL

UPS

Atlanta, GA

113300

96705

16595

85918

Package/LTL

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings

Phoenix, AZ

29575

174

29396

89545

General Freight

J. B. Hunt Transport

Lowell, AR

24040

1138

22902

139090

General Freight

R+L Carriers

Wilmington, OH

18724

1930

16794

41103

Package/LTL

▲ +1

Schneider National

Green Bay, WI

12987

168

12819

43934

General Freight

▲ +2

TFI International

Saint-Laurent, QC

11966

296

11670

33831

Package/LTL

Landstar System

Jacksonville, FL

11174

270

10904

18974

General Freight

Estes Express Lines

Richmond, VA

10731

590

10141

37613

Package/LTL

Old Dominion Freight Line

Thomasville, NC

10719

153

10566

42162

Package/LTL

Werner Enterprises

Omaha, NE

10450

139

10269

28868

General Freight

12 ▲ +2

Evans Network of Cos.

Schuylkill Haven, PA

9683

9677

1861

General Freight

13 ▼ -1

XPO Logistics

Greenwich, CT

9084

236

8848

33472

Package/LTL

14 ▲ +1

Penske Logistics

Reading, PA

8849

1016

7833

14470

General Freight

15 ▲ +2

Heartland Express

North Liberty, IA

7094

22783

General Freight

16 ▲ +6

Ryder Integrated Logistics

Miami, FL

6838

861

5977

13012

General Freight

17 ▼ -1

Prime

Springfield, MO

6706

6700

14871

General Freight

18 ▲ +1

Kenan Advantage Group

North Canton, OH

6562

6561

2829

Tank Truck

19 ▲ +2

Saia

Johns Creek, GA

6016

5935

19711

Package/LTL

20 ▼ -2

UniGroup

Fenton, MO

5523

2400

3123

5457

Household Goods

21 ▲ +2

CRST International

Cedar Rapids, IA

5379

5291

15029

General Freight

22 ▲ +2

Crete Carrier

Lincoln, NE

5288

13597

General Freight

23 ▲ +3

Daseke

Addison, TX

5258

321

4937

13437

Heavy Haul

24 ▲ +4

PS Logistics

Ensley, AL

5146

5140

6451

General Freight

25 ▲ +2

Averitt Express

Cookeville, TN

5129

5090

15152

Package/LTL

26 ▼ -1

CSX / Quality Carriers

Jacksonville, FL

5023

2292

2731

1034

Tank Truck

27 ▲ +2

ArcBest

Fort Smith, AR

4963

311

4652

22926

Package/LTL

28 ▲ +2

Bennett International Group

McDonough, GA

4584

1816

2763

4048

Heavy Haul

29 ▲ +5

C.R. England

Salt Lake City, UT

4254

8936

Refrigerated

30 ▲ +5

Universal Logistics Holdings

Warren, MI

4114

4105

5349

General Freight

31 ▲ +14

Central Transport

Warren, MI

4060

4010

11877

Package/LTL

32 ▲ +6

Marten Transport

Mondovi, WI

3742

5765

Refrigerated

NFI Industries

Camden, NJ

3741

8788

General Freight

34 ▼ -2

Ruan

Des Moines, IA

3723

3636

9227

General Freight

35 ▲ +7

TMC Transportation

Des Moines, IA

3684

3681

4429

Building Materials/Construction

36 ▲ +5

Brinks

Coppell, TX

3674

3667

Armored

37 ▲ +11

Western Express

Nashville, TN

3600

7650

General Freight

38 ▲ +20

Sirva Worldwide

Oakbrook Terrace, IL

3512

1140

2372

4634

Household Goods

39 ▼ -3

Hogan

St. Louis, MO

3499

766

2733

2973

General Freight

40 ▼ -1

Forward Air / FAF

Greeneville, TN

3439

540

2899

7177

Package/LTL

41 ▼ -4

DB Schenker

Essen, DE

3391

3329

8249

General Freight

42 ▲ +4

10 Roads Express

Carter Lake, IA

3387

352

3035

4035

General Freight

Hirschbach Motor Lines

Dubuque, IA

3348

5747

Refrigerated

44 ▲ +19

Bison Transport

Winnipeg, MB

3297

3293

12612

General Freight

45 ▲ +30

IMC Cos.

Colliersville, TN

3181

General Freight

46 ▼ -6

Atlas Van Lines

Evansville, IN

3108

1486

1622

3479

Household Goods

47 ▲ +4

Covenant Logistics Group

Chattanooga, TN

3101

3100

4361

General Freight

48 ▼ -1

Hub Group

Oak Brook, IL

3099

3053

5844

General Freight

49 ▼ -5

Southeastern Freight Lines

Lexington, SC

3083

375

2708

10230

Package/LTL

50 ▼ -1

FirstFleet

Murfreesboro, TN

3076

11683

General Freight

8 9

▲ +2

10 11

▲ +2

February 2024 | FleetOwner.com 23

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-)

L H

Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

51 ▲ +3

Loomis

Houston, TX

2985

2981

Armored

52 ▲ +3

KLLM Transport Services

Jackson, MS

2980

2903

5434

Refrigerated

53 ▼ -3

Cardinal Logistics Management

Concord, NC

2954

134

2820

7379

General Freight

54 ▼ -2

Stevens Transport

Dallas, TX

2911

4717

Refrigerated

55 ▲ +2

US 1 Industries

Valparaiso, IN

2788

2787

530

General Freight

56 ▲ +4

STG Logistics

Bensenville, IL

2713

General Freight

57 ▲ +7

Bessemer Management

Cleveland, OH

2712

2706

1118

Heavy Haul

58 ▲ +9

Heniff Transportation Systems

Oak Brook, IL

2707

1074

Tank Truck

59 ▼ -6

PAM Transport

Tonitown, AR

2648

9415

General Freight

60 ▲ +6

Mesilla Valley Transportation

Las Cruces, NM

2603

2601

6436

General Freight

61 ▲ +1

Cowan Systems

Baltimore, MD

2545

7342

General Freight

62 ▼ -3

DHL Worldwide Express

Plantation, FL

2522

789

1733

2848

Package/LTL

63 ▲ +18

Ashley Distribution Services

Arcadia, WI

2431

2386

5551

General Freight

64 ▼ -3

Quantix

The Woodlands, TX

2409

2406

2373

Bulk

65 ▼ -34

Patrick Industries

Elkhart, IN

2392

2138

254

526

General Freight

66 ▼ -1

Roehl Transport

Marshfield, WI

2328

2321

6077

General Freight

67 ▲ +4

RoadOne IntermodaLogistics

Randolph, MA

2278

2276

1903

General Freight

68 ▲ +25

TruckMovers

Independence, MO

2166

2158

Motor Vehicle

69 ▼ -13

Pitt Ohio Transportation Group

Pittsburgh, PA

2159

577

1582

3849

Package/LTL

70 ▼ -1

Lazer Logistics

Alpharetta, GA

2116

3315

General Freight

71 ▼ -1

Anderson Trucking Service

Saint Cloud, MN

2107

2101

5598

General Freight

72 ▼ -4

Mercer Transportation

Louisville, KY

2054

2571

General Freight

73 ▲ +1

Dayton Freight Lines

Dayton, OH

2049

217

1832

5187

Package/LTL

74 ▼ -2

United Road and United Road Services

Plymouth, MI

2013

2145

Motor Vehicle

75 ▼ -2

CEVA Logistics (North American HQ)

Houston, TX

1933

654

1279

3427

Package/LTL

76 ▲ +1

Quality Drive Away/Foremost Transport

Goshen, IN

1780

571

1209

Motor Vehicle

77 ▲ +2

Trimac Transportation Group

Calgary, AB

1721

2650

Bulk

McCoy Group

Dubuque, IA

1704

2584

Tank Truck

79 ▲ +1

A. Duie Pyle

West Chester, PA

1697

194

1503

3251

Package/LTL

80 ▼ -4

Stan Koch & Sons Trucking/Koch Trucking

Golden Valley, MN

1697

2682

General Freight

81 ▲ +57

Total Transportation Services (TTSI)

Long Beach, CA

1624

1595

1141

General Freight

82 ▲ +2

Maverick Transportation

North Little Rock, AR

1616

2375

General Freight

83 ▲ +7

Containerport Group

Cleveland, OH

1570

1546

85457

General Freight

84 ▼ -1

C&K Trucking

Chicago Ridge, IL

1517

895

General Freight

85 ▲ +4

Melton Truck Lines

Tulsa, OK

1505

2500

Heavy Haul

86 ▲ +59

Temco Logistics

Lake Forest, CA

1502

1498

Household Goods

87 ▼ -2

Mr. Bult’s

Burnham, IL

1423

1365

3029

Bulk

88 ▼ -1

Tankstar USA

Milwaukee, WI

1409

1814

Tank Truck

89 ▼ -1

K. L. Breeden & Sons

Terrell, TX

1338

998

Refrigerated

90 ▲ +1

Jack Cooper Transport

Kansas City, MO

1329

1332

Motor Vehicle

91 ▲ +21

Bridgeway

Moon Township, PA

1306

1989

Heavy Haul

92 ▲ +4

Dart Advantage Logistics

Eagan, MN

1302

6585

General Freight

93 ▲ +1

Acme Truck Line

Gretna, LA

1283

304

968

892

Heavy Haul

GardaWorld

Boca Raton, FL

1280

Armored

95 ▼ -3

Paschall Truck Lines

Murray, KY

1231

1228

3605

General Freight

96 ▼ -1

New Line Transport/Tri State

Miami, FL

1200

174

1026

803

General Freight

97 ▲ +4

Western Flyer Express

Oklahoma City, OK

1175

3000

General Freight

98 ▲ +2

Fastfrate Group

Woodbridge, ON

1168

1162

2605

Package/LTL

99 ▼ -17

Transwood Carriers

Omaha, NE

1125

1115

643

Tank Truck

100 ▼ -1

Martin Transportation Systems

Byron Center, MI

1116

1114

2450

General Freight

24 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 24

1/25/24 6:21 PM

2402F

BUILT FOR THE

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EastMfg.com | 888-405-3278 022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 25 2402FO_EastManufacturing.indd 1

1/25/24 6:21 PM 1/8/24 2:02 PM

Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

101 ▲ +171

Transervice Logistics

New Hyde Park, NY

1084

133

951

3631

General Freight

102 ▲ +16

PGT Trucking

Aliquippa, PA

1056

1940

Building Materials/Construction

103 ▼ -17

Day & Ross Transportation Group

Hartland, NB

1052

1046

9217

Package/LTL

104 ▲ +13

Venture Logistics

Indianapolis, IN

1052

1034

5059

General Freight

105 ▲ +25

New Legend

Phoenix, AZ

1050

4143

General Freight

106 ▼ -2

May Trucking

Salem, OR

1049

General Freight

107 ▼ -4

PODS Enterprises

Clearwater, FL

1044

1043

Household Goods

108 ▲ +84

EVO Transportation and Energy Services

Phoenix, AZ

986

165

821

555

Package/LTL

109 ▲ +2

United Vision Logistics

Lafayette, LA

982

185

797

1014

Heavy Haul

110 ▲ +21

Penrouge Transport / Pinnacle

Elkhart, IN

974

883

Motor Vehicle

111 ▼ -1

Trans-System

Cheney, WA

973

1754

Heavy Haul

112 ▲ +17

Paper Transport

De Pere, WI

954

950

3645

General Freight

113 ▲ +2

Dana Cos.

Avenel, NJ

951

940

Tank Truck

114 ▲ +47

A.P. Moller-Maersk

Florham Park, NJ

940

236

704

240

General Freight

115 ▼ -2

RoadRunner Transportation Services

Downers Grove, IL

931

511

420

2150

Package/LTL

116 ▲ +150

OnLine Transport

Greenfield, IN

930

928

3022

General Freight

117 ▼ -11

Riverside Transportation

Rockport, IN

923

2000

General Freight

118 ▼ -2

Ascend

Jackson, TN

913

2919

General Freight

119 ▲ +7

Magnum Cos.

Fargo, ND

910

820

1866

General Freight

120

Leonard’s Express

Farmington, NY

904

1544

Refrigerated

121 ▼ -23

Wheaton Worldwide Moving

Indianapolis, IN

903

193

710

1029

Household Goods

122 ▲ +18

Carter Express

Anderson, IN

902

2314

General Freight

123 ▼ -16

Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport

Los Alamitos, CA

897

Motor Vehicle

124 ▲ +99

Mullen Group

Okotoks, AB

896

884

2016

Package/LTL

125 ▼ -6

Premier Transportation

Forest Park, GA

886

878

4332

General Freight

126 ▲ +17

R.E. Garrison Trucking

Vinemont, AL

881

880

1507

General Freight

127 ▼ -6

Groendyke Transport

Enid, OK

874

Tank Truck

128 ▼ -4

National Retail Systems

North Bergen, NJ

872

842

4263

General Freight

129 ▼ -1

Savage Cos.

Midvale, UT

867

192

675

1338

Bulk

130 ▼ -3

Oak Harbor Freight Lines

Auburn, WA

865

794

2586

Package/LTL

131 ▲ +2

Oakley Trucking / Bruce Oakley

North Little Rock, AR

860

918

Bulk

132 ▼ -7

Williams Brothers Trucking

Hazlehurst, GA

855

1683

General Freight

133 ▼ -11

Cassens Transport

Edwardsville, IL

842

Motor Vehicle

134 ▲ +15

Davenport Transportation

Blairsville, GA

835

522

313

340

Package/LTL

135 ▲ +29

Jordan Carriers

Natchez, MS

824

1095

General Freight

136 ▲ +88

Oklahoma Tank Lines/United Petroleum

Oklahoma City, OK

815

105

Petroleum

137 ▼ -28

GuideOn Group

Chattanooga, TN

814

1025

General Freight

138 ▼ -4

Beelman Truck

East Saint Louis, IL

798

1133

Agricultural

139 ▲ +31

Venezia

Pottstown, PA

798

788

1502

Bulk

140 ▼ -5

Decker Truck Line

Fort Dodge, IA

790

1436

General Freight

141 ▲ +46

Martin Transport

Kilgore, TX

783

774

253

Petroleum

142 ▼ -6

C.A.T. Group

Coteau-du-Lac, QC

782

777

2346

General Freight

143

Charger Logistics

Brampton, ON

772

942

General Freight

144 ▼ -7

Ozark Motor Lines

Memphis, TN

766

2192

General Freight

145 ▲ +5

Fraley & Schilling

Rushville, IN

759

1046

General Freight

146 ▲ +20

Wayne Transports

Rosemount, MN

754

950

Tank Truck

147 ▼ -8

Lynden / Lynden Cos.

Seattle, WA

743

690

2356

General Freight

148 ▲ +8

J & R Schugel Trucking

New Ulm, MN

738

1779

Refrigerated

149 ▲ +35

Oakley Transport

Lake Wales, FL

736

1703

Tank Truck

150 ▲ +22

Tri National

Earth City, MO

733

2440

General Freight

Operating Type

26 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 26

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2402F

PRESSURE AUTOMATION & PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Every year, trucking fleets spend billions of dollars manually managing tires, which is the leading cause of asset downtime. In addition, reactive tire management practices lead to chronic tire underinflation and other operational inefficiencies. Aperia delivers the most comprehensive, accessible tire management platform for commercial fleets worldwide. Halo Tire Management combines tire pressure automation hardware with a machine-learning tire analytics platform. With a million tires under management, the combination enables powerful operational, safety, and environmental improvements for trucks and trailers.

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022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 27 2402FO_Aperia.indd 1

P: (844) RUN-HALO

1/25/24 6:21 PM 1/12/24 2:33 PM

Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

151 ▲ +11

Brown Trucking

Lithonia, GA

729

3380

General Freight

152 ▲ +11

Freymiller

Oklahoma City, OK

726

1212

Refrigerated

153 ▲ +5

Halvor Lines

Superior, WI

720

1842

General Freight

154 ▲ +93

Norton Transport

Ringgold, GA

720

Motor Vehicle

155 ▼ -8

Montgomery Transportation Group

Birmingham, AL

707

1143

Heavy Haul

156 ▲ +1

Venture Express

La Vergne, TN

704

702

3432

General Freight

157 ▼ -2

Blackhawk Transport

Beloit, WI

702

691

1314

General Freight

158 ▼ -6

K & B Transportation

South Sioux City, NE

700

1405

Refrigerated

159 ▲ +104

Boasso Global

Tampa, FL

694

455

Tank Truck

160 ▲ +38

Forza Transportation Services

Laredo, TX

693

4099

General Freight

161 ▼ -10

JBS Carriers

Greeley, CO

689

1394

Agricultural

162

Brady Welding

Healdton, OK

688

225

463

806

Heavy Haul

163 ▼ -9

Red Classic Transit

Charlotte, NC

679

626

2912

General Freight

164 ▲ +12

Hilco Transport

Greensboro, NC

672

579

457

Tank Truck

165 ▼ -17

American Bulk Commodities

Boardman, OH

663

614

1256

Bulk

166

Cox Transportation Services

Ashland, VA

654

652

1743

General Freight

167 ▲ +107

Titanium Trucking Services

Bolton, ON

654

2400

General Freight

168 ▼ -60

Horizon Transport

Wakarusa, IN

653

623

159

Motor Vehicle

169 ▼ -9

TransAm Trucking

Olathe, KS

649

643

1721

Refrigerated

170 ▲ +4

Ward Transport and Logistics

Altoona, PA

648

151

497

1040

General Freight

171 ▼ -12

Cal-Ark International

Little Rock, AR

644

375

269

1436

General Freight

172 ▼ -49

CrossCountry Freight Solutions

Bismarck, ND

640

166

474

2052

General Freight

173 ▲ +27

Cypress Truck Lines

Jacksonville, FL

640

2252

Building Materials/Construction

174 ▲ +25

Titus Transport Holdings

Ponder, TX

634

513

Refrigerated

175 ▲ +8

Rig Runner

The Woodlands, TX

631

597

647

General Freight

176 ▼ -23

Suddath Cos.

Jacksonville, FL

630

515

115

326

Household Goods

177 ▼ -12

National Carriers

Irving, TX

627

1344

Refrigerated

178 ▲ +31

Howard Sheppard

Sandersville, GA

623

618

1455

Bulk

179 ▼ -35

Wall Street Systems

Mantua, OH

609

7900

General Freight

180 ▲ +32

Arka Express

Markham, IL

605

1940

General Freight

181 ▲ +24

Artur Express

Hazelwood, MO

596

3407

General Freight

182 ▼ -36

Dupré Logistics

Lafayette, LA

596

1352

Petroleum

183 ▲ +11

Titan Transfer

Shelbyville, TN

583

575

2215

General Freight

184 ▼ -9

Transportation Services

Romulus, MI

583

General Freight

185 ▼ -8

SNL Distribution Services

Birmingham, AL

582

564

1581

Refrigerated

186 ▼ -8

KAL Freight

Arlington, TX

580

600

General Freight

187 ▲ +48

Highlight Motor Group

Concord, ON

579

574

1334

General Freight

188 ▲ +1

Raven Transport

Jacksonville, FL

577

2519

General Freight

189 ▼ -9

McElroy Truck Lines

Cuba, AL

576

1157

Building Materials/Construction

190 ▼ -9

Big G Express

Shelbyville, TN

574

1787

General Freight

191 ▼ -9

Wiley Sanders Truck Lines

Troy, AL

572

564

1845

General Freight

192 ▲ +41

Western Dairy Transport

Cabool, MO

568

1268

Agricultural

193 ▲ +46

Crowley

Jacksonville, FL

566

532

8003

General Freight

194 ▼ -23

Bulkmatic

Griffith, IN

565

1556

Bulk

195 ▲ +19

Eagle Transport

Rocky Mount, NC

565

Tank Truck

196 ▼ -11

Gulf Winds International

Deer Park, TX

563

1467

General Freight

197

AJR Trucking

Compton, CA

562

150

412

General Freight

198 ▲ +17

Nussbaum Transportation Services

Hudson, IL

561

1325

General Freight

199 ▼ -2

GP Transco

Joliet, IL

559

827

General Freight

200 ▼ -12

Virginia Transportation

West Warwick, RI

557

Motor Vehicle

28 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 28

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022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 29 2402FO_EROAD.indd 1

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

201

ADM Trucking

Decatur, IL

555

1381

Agricultural

202 ▲ +88

Copart Direct

Dallas, TX

554

669

Motor Vehicle

203 ▼ -13

Dependable

Los Angeles, CA

553

457

1323

General Freight

204 ▼ -13

US Logistics Solutions

Humble, TX

552

348

204

700

General Freight

205 ▼ -12

Bay & Bay

Eagan, MN

550

1019

General Freight

206 ▼ -20

Gypsum Express

Baldwinsville, NY

550

515

1506

General Freight

207 ▲ +9

Heyl Truck Lines

Akron, IA

550

1200

General Freight

208 ▲ +79

Bragg Cos.

Long Beach, CA

546

116

430

833

Heavy Haul

209 ▲ +23

Grammer Logistics

Columbus, IN

544

Bulk

210 ▲ +8

Spee-Dee Delivery Service

Saint Cloud, MN

543

425

118

290

Package/LTL

211 ▲ +74

Penn Tank Lines

Chester Springs, PA

540

Petroleum

212 ▲ +14

Auto Driveaway

Lombard, IL

539

280

259

Motor Vehicle

213 ▼ -18

Canadian National Transportation (CNTL)

Montreal, QC

537

2040

General Freight

214 ▲ +68

Highway Transport Chemical

Knoxville, TN

533

Tank Truck

215 ▲ +83

Sweet Express

Kentwood, MI

530

985

General Freight

216 ▲ +59

Mapletree Transportation

Middlebury, IN

528

136

Motor Vehicle

217 ▲ +25

STL Truckers

Saint Charles, MO

527

800

General Freight

218 ▼ -12

Pride Transport

Salt Lake City, UT

526

525

885

General Freight

219 ▲ +136

Southern AG Carriers

Albany, GA

526

1475

Agricultural

220 ▲ +26

Load One

Taylor, MI

519

399

120

218

General Freight

221 ▼ -19

Buddy Moore Trucking

Birmingham, AL

517

512

875

Building Materials/Construction

222 ▼ -19

Sun Coast Resources

Houston, TX

516

254

262

341

Petroleum

223

GXO

Greenwich, CT

515

103

412

1318

General Freight

224 ▼ -20

West Side Transport

Cedar Rapids, IA

515

2582

General Freight

225

Bulk Environmental

Miami, FL

514

417

545

Bulk

226 ▼ -19

Transco Lines

Russellville, AR

510

1000

General Freight

227 ▲ +2

Schuster

Le Mars, IA

504

1196

General Freight

228 ▲ +8

Cargo Transporters

Claremont, NC

503

1788

General Freight

229 ▲ +81

KKW Trucking

Pomona, CA

503

1613

General Freight

230 ▲ +8

Continental Express

Sidney, OH

500

1250

General Freight

231 ▼ -21

PI & I Motor Express

Masury, OH

499

770

Building Materials/Construction

232 ▼ -19

Benore Logistic Systems

Erie, MI

497

1552

General Freight

233 ▲ +4

Cliff Viessman

Gary, SD

496

872

Tank Truck

234 ▼ -23

White Arrow

Montebello, CA

496

635

General Freight

235 ▲ +22

Endurance Environmental Solutions

Chicago Heights, IL

495

884

Garbage/Refuse

236 ▼ -15

Slay Transportation

Saint Louis, MO

494

109

Tank Truck

237 ▼ -29

Admiral Merchants

Minneapolis, MN

491

640

Heavy Haul

238 ▲ +6

Combined Transport Logistics Group

Central Point, OR

485

853

Heavy Haul

239

Southern Mail Service

Houston, TX

484

459

568

General Freight

240 ▲ +54

Lavalle Transportation

Potsdam, NY

483

1362

General Freight

241 ▲ +40

Ergon Trucking

Jackson, MS

482

447

Tank Truck

242 ▼ -2

Carroll Fulmer Logistics

Groveland, FL

480

1786

General Freight

243 ▲ +10

Watsontown Trucking

Milton, PA

475

1550

General Freight

244

Jones Logistics

Hattiesburg, MS

474

460

2016

General Freight

245 ▲ +7

System Freight

Jamesburg, NJ

474

467

3267

General Freight

246 ▼ -12

Danny Herman Trucking

Mountain City, TN

473

1275

General Freight

247

R&R Family of Cos.

Pittsburgh, PA

473

894

General Freight

248 ▲ +32

J & M Tank Lines

Birmingham, AL

472

646

Tank Truck

249 ▲ +69

A-1 Transit

Marathon, WI

470

205

265

1190

Building Materials/Construction

250 ▼ -77

Saltchuk Family of Cos.

Seattle, WA

470

418

4182

General Freight

*T s ** a

30 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 30

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2402F

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022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 31 2402FO_FleetPride.indd 1

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

251 ▼ -72

Star Fleet Trucking

Middlebury, IN

466

Mobile Homes

252 ▲ +4

Wadhams Enterprises/Earl T. Wadhams

Phelps, NY

466

448

810

General Freight

253 ▼ -10

Midwest Transport

Robinson, IL

460

452

610

General Freight

254

UNIS

Walnut, CA

458

431

901

General Freight

255 ▲ +48

J.S. Helwig & Son

Terrell, TX

457

456

639

General Freight

256 ▼ -115

Odyssey Logistics & Technology

Chesterton, IN

456

412

1098

General Freight

257 ▲ +3

Wilson Logistics

Springfield, MO

454

518

General Freight

258 ▼ -8

Meyer Logistics

Jasper, IN

453

387

117

General Freight

259 ▼ -28

Saddle Creek Transportation

Lakeland, FL

453

2143

General Freight

260 ▲ +26

National DCP

Duluth, GA

452

413

606

Refrigerated

261 ▲ +1

Hurricane Express

Colcord, OK

450

611

Refrigerated

262 ▲ +76

Cheema Freightlines

Sumner, WA

449

1400

Refrigerated

263 ▲ +86

DX Xpress

Laredo, TX

448

972

General Freight

264 ▼ -37

A. D. Transport Express

Canton, MI

447

1728

General Freight

265 ▼ -6

NAPA Transportation

Mechanicsburg, PA

445

1691

General Freight

266 ▲ +112

Quickway Transportation

Nashville, TN

444

422

628

Refrigerated

267

Global Transportation

Aurora, CO

442

335

General Freight

268

Paul Transportation Inc

Tulsa, OK

442

537

Heavy Haul

269 ▼ -24

Modern Transportation Services

Sewickley, PA

441

489

Bulk

270 ▲ +43

Andrews Logistics

Southlake, TX

439

1012

Petroleum

271 ▼ -16

Sultan Trans

South Bend, IN

438

Refrigerated

272 ▲ +204

Xpress Global Systems

Tunnel Hill, GA

434

352

1085

General Freight

273

Best Logistics Group

Kernersville, NC

432

1150

General Freight

274 ▼ -25

S. Coraluzzo/Torrissi Transport

Vineland, NJ

432

Petroleum

275 ▼ -56

Beemac Trucking

Ambridge, PA

430

422

462

General Freight

276 ▼ -6

PTG Logistics

Mason, OH

426

593

General Freight

277 ▼ -52

TLD Logistics Services

Knoxville, TN

425

802

General Freight

278 ▲ +1

Service Transport

Houston, TX

423

Tank Truck

279 ▼ -49

Action Resources

Birmingham, AL

421

376

327

Bulk

280 ▼ -16

B & W Interstate

Taylor, MI

421

1271

General Freight

281 ▼ -139

Navajo Express

Denver, CO

417

856

General Freight

282 ▼ -15

Thompson Trucking

Concord, VA

413

129

284

797

Bulk

283 ▲ +13

Salem Carriers

Winston Salem, NC

409

350

1383

General Freight

284 ▼ -16

JLE Industries

Dunbar, PA

408

487

Bulk

285 ▼ -44

Fremont Contract Carriers

Fremont, NE

406

405

1379

General Freight

286 ▼ -13

Robertson’s Transport

Corona, CA

405

333

687

General Freight

287 ▼ -39

ShipEX

Salt Lake City, UT

405

395

780

Refrigerated

288 ▼ -37

G&D Integrated

Morton, IL

404

403

2639

General Freight

289 ▼ -20

WEL Cos.

De Pere, WI

404

727

Refrigerated

290 ▲ +18

McCollister’s Transportation Group

Burlington, NJ

403

140

263

376

General Freight

291 ▼ -13

Arnold Transportation Services

Grand Prairie, TX

402

1256

General Freight

292 ▼ -8

Spirit Miller Trucking

Saint Joseph, MO

402

Motor Vehicle

293 ▲ +77

GenOx Transportation

Deer Park, TX

401

Tank Truck

294 ▼ -72

Indian River Transport

Winter Haven, FL

400

845

Tank Truck

295 ▼ -12

JNJ Express

Memphis, TN

400

1639

General Freight

296 ▲ +26

Orozco Trucking

Elk Grove Village, IL

397

General Freight

297 ▼ -9

Phoenix Cargo

Grove City, OH

395

370

General Freight

298

ATL Express Group

Laredo, TX

392

529

General Freight

299 ▼ -82

Poly Trucking

Grand Prairie, TX

392

374

General Freight

300 ▼ -8

POX Transportation/Dynamic Transport

Goshen, IN

392

374

Motor Vehicle

I s e

32 FleetOwner | February 2024

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2402F

AL I S UZ U Y O CU L U ST O Y O

M S ER

TH A

CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK SOLD IN AMERICA

THE FIRST ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK WAS SOLD IN AMERICA IN 1984

WWW.ISUZUCV.COM Isuzu vehicles are assembled from component parts manufactured by Isuzu Motors Limited, its affiliated companies and by independent suppliers who manufacture such components to Isuzu’s exacting standards for quality, performance and safety. Vehicles shown with optional equipment. Some equipment is dealer installed. © 2024 Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc.

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 33 2402FO_Isuzu.indd 1

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

301 ▼ -4

US AutoLogistics

Houston, TX

392

Motor Vehicle

302 ▲ +45

Transystems

Great Falls, MT

383

726

Bulk

303 ▼ -38

UST Select

Greenville, SC

382

315

Household Goods

304 ▼ -5

Barney Trucking

Salina, UT

379

377

613

Bulk

305 ▼ -10

JRayl Transport

Akron, OH

379

1710

General Freight

306 ▼ -2

Market Express

Portland, OR

374

730

General Freight

307 ▲ +96

Sentinel Transportation

Wilmington , DE

374

Petroleum

308 ▲ +8

XBL Industrial Materials

Weatherford, TX

374

656

Bulk

309 ▼ -4

Accelerated Services

Parker, CO

373

384

Motor Vehicle

310 ▲ +17

Barnes Transportation Services

Wilson, NC

371

354

857

General Freight

311 ▲ +117

Trans-Phos

Bartow, FL

371

201

170

192

Bulk

312 ▼ -21

G4 Logistics

Pittsburgh, PA

370

287

291

General Freight

313 ▼ -12

BLS Trucking

New Carlisle, OH

369

255

114

113

General Freight

314 ▼ -118

Sharkey Transportation

Quincy, IL

365

1660

General Freight

315 ▲ +35

Lightning Transportation

Hagerstown, MD

362

284

General Freight

316 ▲ +179

Florida Beauty Express

Miami, FL

361

349

520

Refrigerated

317 ▲ +67

Aim Transportation Solutions

Girard, OH

360

339

488

General Freight

318 ▲ +135

Freightsol

Laredo, TX

360

780

General Freight

319 ▲ +1

Hunter Express

Brampton, ON

359

1197

General Freight

320

Maverick Logistics

Salt Lake City, UT

357

349

Petroleum

321 ▼ -9

Redbird Carriers

Saint Louis, MO

357

355

17804

General Freight

322 ▲ +61

Sutton Transport

Weston, WI

356

299

575

Package/LTL

323

Transportation Specialists

Omaha, NE

355

1650

General Freight

324 ▲ +105

Tri-State Vacuum and Rental

Joaquin, TX

355

415

General Freight

325

Autobahn Freight Lines

Brampton, ON

354

829

General Freight

326 ▲ +122

Duncan & Son Lines

Buckeye, AZ

354

3200

General Freight

327 ▲ +36

KC Transportation

Carleton, MI

354

1048

General Freight

328

Peninsula Truck Lines

Auburn, WA

354

328

1029

General Freight

329 ▲ +69

Greenbush Logistics

Abbeville, AL

353

600

General Freight

330

Page Transportation

Weedsport, NY

353

632

Bulk

331 ▼ -14

Heritage Transport

Indianapolis, IN

352

109

243

799

Garbage/Refuse

332 ▼ -8

Crane Cartage Freight Services

Houston, TX

351

304

1033

General Freight

333 ▼ -22

GoldCoast Logistics Group

Elgin, IL

350

370

General Freight

334 ▲ +8

L & B Transport

Port Allen, LA

350

Tank Truck

335 ▲ +77

RIG Logistics

Rocky View, AB

350

700

General Freight

336 ▲ +5

TA Operating

La Vergne, TN

349

336

General Freight

337 ▼ -30

Capstone Logistics

Peachtree Corners, GA

348

Refrigerated

338 ▼ -5

Raider Express

Fort Worth, TX

347

750

General Freight

339 ▼ -14

Erives Enterprises

El Paso, TX

346

627

General Freight

340 ▼ -14

Rich Logistics

Little Rock, AR

346

345

1150

General Freight

341 ▲ +11

Transportes de Carga FEMA

Nuevo Laredo, TA

344

2285

General Freight

342 ▼ -40

Texas International Enterprises

Laredo, TX

343

1169

Building Materials/Construction

343 ▲ +1

Taylor Truck Line

Northfield, MN

340

1535

General Freight

344

Carolina Logistic

Candler, NC

339

662

General Freight

345 ▼ -36

Daylight Transport

Cypress, CA

339

181

158

575

Package/LTL

346 ▲ +56

Borderlanders

Pittsburgh, PA

337

827

General Freight

347 ▼ -7

Sodrel Truck Lines

Jeffersonville, IN

337

311

476

General Freight

348 ▲ +20

Cargo Solution Express

Fontana, CA

336

1894

General Freight

349 ▼ -19

Royal Express

Laredo, TX

335

329

1200

General Freight

350 ▲ +19

TCW

Nashville, TN

331

268

General Freight

34 FleetOwner | February 2024

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E US AT

TMC and how ruck S The Work T

COME SE

hendrickson-intl.com

A Better Reduced

Bright Maintenance

Actual product performance may vary depending upon vehicle configuration, operation, service and other factors. ©2024 Hendrickson USA, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks shown are owned by Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., or one of its affiliates, in one or more countries.

Stainless Steel Clad Aluminum Bumpers

AERO CLAD

Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

351

Transport Systems

Dearborn, MI

331

425

General Freight

352 ▼ -7

Erb Group of Cos.

New Hamburg, ON

330

316

587

Refrigerated

353 ▼ -14

Risinger Bros Transfer

Morton, IL

330

920

General Freight

354 ▼ -17

Select Dedicated Solutions

Laredo, TX

329

600

General Freight

355 ▼ -78

N & M Transfer

Neenah, WI

328

291

482

General Freight

356

Golden Mile Enterprises

Indianapolis, IN

327

1025

General Freight

357

BKFS Logistics

Dorval, QC

326

371

General Freight

358 ▲ +36

All Truck Transportation

La Grange Highlands, IL

324

322

1741

General Freight

359 ▲ +124

Nova Lines

Bridgeview, IL

324

General Freight

360 ▼ -14

Andrus Transportation Services

St. George, UT

323

1016

General Freight

361

A & G Commercial Trucking

Crump, TN

320

Mobile Homes

362

TCI Transportation

Commerce, CA

320

258

454

General Freight

363 ▲ +38

Beltmann Group (HQ)

Roseville, MN

319

124

195

352

General Freight

364 ▼ -43

VSS Transportation Group

Carrollton, TX

317

708

General Freight

365 ▲ +49

Rapid Transport

Pharr, TX

316

873

General Freight

366 ▼ -1

Southwestern Motor Transport

San Antonio, TX

314

269

775

General Freight

367

Valley Farm Transport

Dixon, CA

312

2108

Agricultural

368 ▼ -12

Whiteline Express

Plymouth, MI

312

1245

General Freight

369 ▲ +54

GLS US Freight

Stockton, CA

311

266

1026

Package/LTL

370 ▼ -27

Long Haul Trucking

Albertville, MN

311

331

General Freight

371 ▲ +24

N.W. White & Co.

Columbia, SC

311

250

145

Bulk

372

NU-Way

Bloomington, IL

311

293

533

General Freight

373 ▼ -37

Brook Ledge

Oley, PA

310

255

482

Horse Carrier

374 ▼ -17

EOS Trucking

North Little Rock, AR

310

780

General Freight

375 ▼ -17

Vista Trans

Lake In The Hills, IL

310

400

General Freight

376 ▼ -17

Walsh Trucking

Troutdale, OR

310

509

Bulk

377 ▼ -17

CTI

Rillito, AZ

309

303

633

Agricultural

378 ▼ -17

McClymonds S▲ply & Transit

Portersville, PA

309

156

153

291

Bulk

379 ▼ -17

CDN Logistics

Northlake, IL

308

280

689

General Freight

380 ▼ -109

Medallion Transport & Logistics

Mt Laurel, NJ

308

293

325

General Freight

381 ▼ -213

QFS Transportation

Greendale, IN

307

General Freight

382 ▼ -16

Spirit Truck Line

San Juan, TX

307

1227

General Freight

383 ▼ -10

Sunset Logistics

Fort Worth, TX

307

417

Bulk

384 ▲ +2

Cadence Premier Cargo

Joliet, IL

306

346

General Freight

385 ▼ -79

Don Hummer Trucking

Cedar Rapids, IA

306

754

General Freight

386 ▼ -86

D.M. Bowman

Williamsport, MD

305

1820

General Freight

387 ▼ -16

Pride Group Logistics

Mississauga, ON

305

1200

General Freight

388 ▲ +5

Prince Logistic Services

Lachine, QC

305

450

Refrigerated

389 ▲ +48

White Oak Transportation

Decatur, AL

305

974

General Freight

390 ▲ +23

Premier Trading and Transportation

Perkins, OK

304

303

Petroleum

391 ▼ -17

A&A Express

Omaha, NE

303

502

Refrigerated

392 ▼ -61

Trucks for You

Muskogee, OK

303

263

1189

General Freight

393

PFQ Cos.

Lancaster, PA

301

134

General Freight

394

Safeway Trucking/East Coast Warehouse

Elizabeth, NJ

301

290

450

Refrigerated

395 ▼ -15

Coastal Transport

San Antonio, TX

300

Tank Truck

396 ▼ -15

GTS Transportation

Burr Ridge, IL

300

600

General Freight

397 ▼ -78

HMD Trucking

Chicago Ridge, IL

300

928

General Freight

398 ▼ -16

Sarisa Freight Solutions

Oak Brook, IL

300

General Freight

399

Super Transport International

Laredo, TX

300

1554

General Freight

400 ▲ +15

Reliable Carriers

Canton, MI

298

281

374

Motor Vehicle

36 FleetOwner | February 2024

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2402F

THEPOWER

TOGROW ®

The Right System Will Help You Grow Your TMS investment should position you for growth. You need high levels of process automation, insightful decision support, and optimized planning & execution tools. McLeod Software gives trucking companies an unfair advantage. Grow your business with McLeod. 877.362.5363 | McLeodSoftware.com

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 37 2402FO_McLeodSoftware.indd 1

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

401 ▼ -16

American Central Transport

Kansas City, MO

297

1000

General Freight

402

Lawrence Companies

Roanoke, VA

297

242

784

General Freight

403 ▼ -16

Maybach International Group

Alsip, IL

296

299

General Freight

404 ▼ -15

Sharp Transit

Salisbury, NC

296

288

320

Refrigerated

405 ▲ +87

Triton Logistics

Romeoville, IL

296

334

General Freight

406

MCI Express

Medley, FL

295

403

General Freight

407 ▼ -53

Southern Tank Transport

Holly Hill, SC

295

599

Tank Truck

408 ▲ +12

McLeod Express

Decatur, IL

294

1038

General Freight

409 ▲ +8

Cheeseman

Fort Recovery, OH

291

289

1508

General Freight

410

DHT

Reese, MI

291

537

General Freight

411 ▼ -36

Midwest Freight Systems

Warren, MI

291

1251

General Freight

412 ▼ -59

Shellenberger Family of Cos.

York, PA

291

1351

General Freight

413

Valley Express

Mapleton, ND

291

336

General Freight

414 ▼ -18

Tidewater Transit

Kinston, NC

290

300

Tank Truck

415

Tucker Freight Lines

Dubuque, IA

290

980

General Freight

416 ▲ +17

Christenson Transportation

Strafford, MO

289

960

General Freight

417 ▼ -18

Real Trucking

Broadview, IL

289

432

General Freight

418

Russell Transport

El Paso, TX

289

676

General Freight

419 ▼ -19

Southeast Division Logistics

Jacksonville, FL

289

121

168

129

Building Materials/Construction

420 ▲ +50

B P Express

Greenwood, IN

288

General Freight

421 ▼ -128

Dunavant

Memphis, TN

288

414

General Freight

422 ▲ +80

Food Express

Palmdale, CA

288

459

Bulk

423 ▼ -18

T.H. Ryan Cartage

Maywood, IL

287

212

1300

General Freight

424 ▼ -20

Taylor Transport

Cartersville, GA

287

244

465

General Freight

425 ▲ +5

Andy Transport

Montreal, QC

286

800

General Freight

426 ▼ -20

B & T Express

North Lima, OH

286

368

General Freight

427 ▲ +22

Holland Enterprises

Mapleton, ND

286

335

Refrigerated

428 ▲ +39

R & M Trucking

Franklin Park, IL

286

210

1772

General Freight

429

Usher Transport

Louisville, KY

286

Tank Truck

430 ▼ -23

Kivi Bros Trucking

Duluth, MN

285

576

Heavy Haul

431 ▼ -43

North Park Transportation

Denver, CO

284

258

715

General Freight

432

Palletized Trucking

Houston, TX

284

360

Heavy Haul

433 ▼ -17

Robert Bearden

Cairo, GA

284

1151

General Freight

434 ▼ -37

Tiger Lines

Lodi, CA

284

1446

General Freight

435 ▲ +1

Walpole

Okeechobee, FL

284

283

552

Bulk

436 ▼ -17

Hilldrup Moving & Storage

Stafford, VA

282

122

160

336

Household Goods

437

Kenco Logistic Services

Chattanooga, TN

282

198

707

General Freight

438

Parrish Dedicated Services

Fort Wayne, IN

282

247

480

General Freight

439 ▼ -12

Pritchett Trucking

Lake Butler, FL

281

549

General Freight

440 ▼ -50

AmeriFreight Systems

Bensenville, IL

280

350

Agricultural

441 ▲ +27

Jax Transport

Amarillo, TX

280

25295

Refrigerated

442

Keller Trucking

Defiance, OH

280

273

1252

General Freight

443 ▼ -52

Blue Max Trucking

Charlotte, NC

279

248

Bulk

444

Meiborg Brothers

Rockford, IL

279

400

General Freight

445 ▲ +40

Timco Logistics Systems

Waxahachie, TX

279

1000

General Freight

446

Gillson Trucking

Stockton, CA

278

302

General Freight

447 ▲ +19

LTI Trucking Services

Saint Louis, MO

276

510

Refrigerated

448

Transcasa USA

Laredo, TX

276

212

General Freight

449 ▲ +47

H. R. Ewell

East Earl, PA

275

581

Refrigerated

450 ▼ -19

IWX Motor Freight

Springfield, MO

274

321

Refrigerated

38 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 38

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2402F

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022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 39 2402FO_BendPak.indd 1

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Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-) Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

451

Northern Logistics

Clare, MI

274

268

517

General Freight

452

Rosedale Transport

Mississauga, ON

274

1163

General Freight

453 ▼ -19

Kriska Transportation

Prescott, ON

273

865

General Freight

454 ▼ -36

M&M Cartage

Louisville, KY

273

268

930

General Freight

455 ▼ -20

Eagle Logistics

Center Valley, PA

272

General Freight

456 ▲ +34

H&M Trucking

Omaha, NE

271

606

Bulk

457 ▼ -16

JRC Transportation

Thomaston, CT

271

General Freight

458

Bestway Express

Vincennes, IN

270

504

General Freight

459 ▼ -17

B-H Transfer

Sandersville, GA

270

267

860

Bulk

460 ▼ -34

Dynamic Transit

Granite City, IL

270

480

General Freight

461 ▼ -23

USKO Express

Rancho Cordova, CA

270

245

240

General Freight

462

MigWay

Pineville, NC

269

332

General Freight

463 ▼ -53

Kreilkamp Trucking

Allenton, WI

268

258

905

General Freight

464

VRP Logistics

Scarborough, ON

268

297

Refrigerated

465 ▲ +6

Butler Transport

Kansas City, KS

267

525

Refrigerated

466 ▼ -16

MB Global Logistics

Addison, IL

267

245

General Freight

467 ▼ -75

National Van Lines

Broadview, IL

267

122

145

250

Household Goods

468

FCI

Freehold, NJ

266

180

434

Hazardous Products

469 ▼ -29

Johnson Feed

Canton, SD

266

1140

General Freight

470 ▲ +37

1-800-PACK-RAT

Wake Forest, NC

265

105

Household Goods

471 ▼ -16

Musket Transport

Mississauga, ON

265

600

General Freight

472 ▲ +28

RBX

Strafford, MO

265

765

General Freight

473 ▼ -144

Midland Transport

Dieppe, NB

264

1403

General Freight

474 ▼ -52

Service Transfer

Chesapeake, VA

264

430

General Freight

475 ▼ -143

Moore Transport of Tulsa

Toledo, OH

263

Motor Vehicle

476 ▼ -1

Dedicated Logistics

Oakdale, MN

262

708

General Freight

477

DSV Road Transport

Missoula, MT

262

255

316

Heavy Haul

478 ▼ -70

Morristown Driver’s Service

Morristown, TN

262

256

512

General Freight

479 ▼ -23

Beco

Commerce City, CO

261

366

General Freight

480

RXO

Charlotte, NC

261

189

279

General Freight

481

New World Van Lines

Chicago, IL

259

173

396

Household Goods

482 ▼ -23

Truline

Las Vegas, NV

259

981

General Freight

483 ▼ -25

Ford Storage & Moving

Omaha, NE

258

223

205

General Freight

484 ▼ -22

Rochester Armored Car

Omaha, NE

258

Armored

485 ▼ -22

Deepwell Energy Services

Columbia, MS

257

232

385

Building Materials/Construction

486

GRT Transportation

Laredo, TX

257

657

General Freight

487

Canal Cartage

Houston, TX

256

915

General Freight

488 ▼ -11

Cherokee Freight Lines Stockton

Stockton, CA

256

850

General Freight

489 ▼ -64

Doug Andrus Distributing

Idaho Falls, ID

255

254

498

General Freight

490 ▼ -47

ELS

West Memphis, AR

255

330

Heavy Haul

491

La-Z-Boy Logistics

New Tazewell, TN

253

228

729

General Freight

492 ▼ -18

GIGG Express

Mississauga, ON

252

1544

General Freight

493

Quality Logistics

Duncan, SC

251

248

778

General Freight

494 ▼ -15

Continuum Transportation Services

Cleveland, OH

250

General Freight

495 ▼ -63

Light Speed Logistics

Rocky View, AB

250

683

Refrigerated

496 ▼ -16

Mawson & Mawson

Langhorne, PA

250

Building Materials/Construction

497

AYR Motor Express

Woodstock, NB

249

600

General Freight

498 ▼ -12

Carrier One

Griffith, IN

249

General Freight

499 ▼ -12

ProSport Express

Elk Grove Village, IL

249

254

General Freight

500 ▼ -239

Fast Trac Transportation

Houston, TX

248

194

276

Garbage/Refuse

40 FleetOwner | February 2024

022-047_FO_EQ_FEAT.indd 40

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FUTURE 500s TO WATCH Rank

Company

Location

Total Vehicles

Total Trucks

Total Tractors

Total Trailers

Operating Type

501 ▼ -12

Covan World-Wide Moving

Midland City, AL

247

173

324

Household Goods

502 ▼ -45

Stone Transport

Saginaw, MI

247

505

Bulk

503 ▼ -31

TLX / AWL Transport

Mantua, OH

247

507

General Freight

504 ▼ -11

Altom Transport

Hammond, IN

245

Petroleum

505 ▼ -8

Centurion Auto Transport

Jacksonville, FL

244

Motor Vehicle

506 ▼ -8

Expedited Logistics and Freight Services

Houston, TX

244

132

112

212

General Freight

507 ▼ -13

Merx Global

Elk Grove Village, IL

244

248

General Freight

508

Go2 Logistics

River Grove, IL

242

660

Package/LTL

509 ▼ -8

Mamo Transportation

Osceola, IN

242

180

Motor Vehicle

510

Panella Trucking

Stockton, CA

242

1800

Agricultural

Rank ▲ or ▼ – 2023 to 2024 Change (+/-)

TOP TEN TRUCKS Rank

Company

Total Trucks

Top 500 Rank

FedEx

117280

UPS

96705

Brinks

3667

Loomis

2981

UniGroup

2400

CSX / Quality Carriers

2292

TruckMovers

2158

Patrick Industries

2138

R+L Carriers

1930

Bennett International Group

1816

TOP TEN TRACTORS Rank

Company

Total Tractors

Top 500 Rank

FedEx

38168

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings

29396

J. B. Hunt Transport

22902

R+L Carriers

16794

UPS

16595

Schneider National

12819

TFI International

11670

Landstar System

10904

Old Dominion Freight Line

10566

Werner Enterprises

10269

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TOP TEN TRAILERS Rank

Company

Total Trailers

Top 500 Rank

FedEx

139752

J. B. Hunt Transport

139090

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings

89545

UPS

85918

Containerport Group

85457

Schneider National

43934

Old Dominion Freight Line

42162

R+L Carriers

41103

Estes Express Lines

37613

TFI International

33831

TOP COMPANIES BY OPERATING TYPE AGRICULTURAL Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Beelman Truck

138

JBS Carriers

161

Western Dairy Transport

192

ADM Trucking

201

Southern AG Carriers

219

Valley Farm Transport

367

CTI

377

AmeriFreight Systems

440

BUILDING MATERIALS/CONSTRUCTION Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

TMC Transportation

PGT Trucking

102

Cypress Truck Lines

173

McElroy Truck Lines

189

Buddy Moore Trucking

221

PI & I Motor Express

231

A-1 Transit

249

Texas International Enterprises

342

Southeast Division Logistics

419

Deepwell Energy Services

485

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BULK Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Quantix

Trimac Transportation Group

Mr. Bult’s

Savage Cos.

129

Oakley Trucking / Bruce Oakley

131

Venezia

139

American Bulk Commodities

165

Howard Sheppard

178

Bulkmatic

194

Grammer Logistics

209

GENERAL FREIGHT Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings

J. B. Hunt Transport

Schneider National

Landstar System

Werner Enterprises

Evans Network of Cos.

Penske Logistics

Heartland Express

Ryder Integrated Logistics

Prime

HEAVY HAUL Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Daseke

Bennett International Group

Bessemer Management

Melton Truck Lines

Bridgeway

Acme Truck Line

United Vision Logistics

109

Trans-System

111

Montgomery Transportation Group

155

Brady Welding

162

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TOP COMPANIES BY OPERATING TYPE HOUSEHOLD GOODS Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

UniGroup

Sirva Worldwide

Atlas Van Lines

Temco Logistics

PODS Enterprises

107

Wheaton Worldwide Moving

121

Suddath Cos.

176

UST Select

303

Hilldrup Moving & Storage

436

National Van Lines

467

MOTOR VEHICLE Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

TruckMovers

United Road and United Road Services

Quality Drive Away / Foremost Transport

Jack Cooper Transport

Penrouge Transport / Pinnacle

110

Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport

123

Cassens Transport

133

Norton Transport

154

Horizon Transport

168

Virginia Transportation

200

PACKAGE/LTL Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

FedEx

UPS

R+L Carriers

TFI International

Estes Express Lines

Old Dominion Freight Line

XPO Logistics

Saia

Averitt Express

ArcBest

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PETROLEUM Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Oklahoma Tank Lines / United Petroleum

136

Martin Transport

141

Dupré Logistics

182

Penn Tank Lines

211

Sun Coast Resources

222

Andrews Logistics

270

S. Coraluzzo / Torrissi Transport

274

Sentinel Transportation

307

Maverick Logistics

320

Premier Trading and Transportation

390

REFRIGERATED Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

C.R. England

Marten Transport

Hirschbach Motor Lines

KLLM Transport Services

Stevens Transport

K. L. Breeden & Sons

Leonard’s Express

120

J & R Schugel Trucking

148

Freymiller

152

K & B Transportation

158

TANK TRUCK Rank

Company

Top 500 Rank

Kenan Advantage Group

CSX / Quality Carriers

Heniff Transportation Systems

McCoy Group

Tankstar USA

Transwood Carriers

Dana Cos.

113

Groendyke Transport

127

Wayne Transports

146

Oakley Transport

149

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NPTC’s Annual Conference and Exhibition is the marquee national private truck fleet event of the year! With 1,300+ attendees and 180+ exhibitors, this is an event you won’t want to miss. The Annual Conference features: INFORMATION: General sessions featuring professional leadership and Driver Hall of Fame recognition award ceremonies; Certified Transportation Professional Class of 2024 graduation; industry benchmarking insights; and the latest legislative and regulatory affairs update. EXHIBITS: A world-class exhibit hall packed with more than 180 companies offering products, resources and solutions that will increase the effectiveness of your private fleet. NETWORKING: Unparalleled peer-to-peer interaction forged in an environment of trust, confidentiality and non-disclosure. EDUCATION: More than 75 top fleet practitioners will serve as speakers and panelists at 20+ workshops showcasing the latest, most innovative and best ideas in private fleet management. BEST PRACTICES: More than 20 best practices breakfast roundtable sessions in which private fleet professionals share in a culture of trust and confidentiality – challenges and opportunities. RECOGNITION: Honoring the private fleet community’s best and brightest practitioners for achievements in safety, leadership, and certification, and for their years of innovative leadership and contributions to the industry. SOCIAL: Meals, events, and activities that create an engaged earning atmosphere. LOCATION: A great location with numerous flight options from anywhere in the country.

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TIRE TRACKS by Kevin Rohlwing

Can tires learn from microchips? Tire manufacturers in the U.S. are being undercut by cheap tires from Asia IMPORTS OF TRUCK and bus tires from Thailand have more than doubled between 2020 and 2022, according to the United Steelworkers, which filed an antidumping petition on Thai truck and bus tires last October. With current dumping margins as high as 47.8%, USW said this is “enabling imports to undercut domestic producers and imperil U.S. jobs.” USW previously filed a similar petition over Chinese tires, which led to antidumping and countervailing duties put in place since 2018.

Photo: Jonathan Weiss | 93590860 | Dreamstime

If below-fair-value manufacturers continue operating in the U.S., domestic capacity for new-truck tire production will decline as companies shift production offshore. In November, the International Trade Commission stated “there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of truck and bus tires from Thailand that are allegedly sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.” The preliminary ITC report released in December painted a troubling picture for domestic truck tires.

The ITC investigation uncovered consistent underselling by subject imports ranging from 1.6% to 72.4%, resulting in 5.3 million tires sold for less than fair market value. Therefore, ITC concluded that the imported Thai tires had “significant price effects” on the U.S. truck and bus tire market. ITC expects to release a preliminary antidumping duty determination in late March that will likely result in tariffs and duties like those placed on Chinese truck tires. Domestic tire manufacturers accounted for 46.4% of truck and bus tire consumption in the U.S. in 2020, according to ITC. Subject imports from Thailand were 19.5%, and non-subject imports from Vietnam, Japan, China, Canada, and South Korea represented 34.1% of U.S. consumption. In 2021, domestic market share dropped to 41.1%, subject imports rose to 24.2%, and non-subject imports rose slightly to 34.7%. It was similar in 2022, with domestic market share dropping to 33.9%, imports from Thailand increasing to 28.3%, and non-subject imports rising to 37.9% of U.S. consumption. What’s most concerning is that domestic consumption dropped from 46.4% to 33.9% in just three years. Other domestic manufacturing industries have experienced similar levels of offshoring. However, a 12.5% drop from 2020 to 2022 indicates that tire supplies here are too dependent on imports. We have seen what can happen in the semiconductor industry when a domestic market becomes too dependent on offshore manufacturing. U.S. computer chip manufacturers accounted for about 37% of the global supply in 1990. That number shrank to about 12% by 2020, with Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and China accounting for 73% of global manufacturing. When the pandemic

caused significant microchip shortages, it crippled countless industries. It spurred Congress to pass the CHIPS Act, which offers billions of dollars in incentives for companies to build new microchip fabrication plants in the U.S. Although you might think the supply chain lessons learned during COVID would change consumer spending, the current economy makes that unlikely. Every financial decision is influenced by price, so it comes as no surprise that more fleets are turning to Thailand for ultra-cheap truck tires. However, unlike semiconductors, truck tires cannot be loaded on a plane and flown to the U.S. Recent backups at the Panama Canal and conflicts in the Red Sea demonstrate the fragility of the ocean freight system. If below-fair-value manufacturers continue operating in the U.S., domestic capacity for new-truck tire production will decline as companies shift production to other countries where wages, taxes, and environmental regulations reduce costs. It happened with semiconductors not too long ago, and the consequences were most severe in the auto and consumer electronics industries. We survived without an abundant supply of new cars, computers, and smartphones, but a truck tire shortage of the same magnitude would be a different story. A level playing field allows domestic and imported truck tires to compete equally in performance, retreadability, and cost. Let’s hope the tariffs on tires manufactured in Thailand and sold for below fair value restore some balance to the market and preserve domestic manufacturing capacity. FO

Kevin Rohlwing | krohlwing@tireindustry.org

Kevin Rohlwing is the SVP of training for the Tire Industry Association. He has more than 40 years of experience in the tire industry and has created programs to help train more than 180,000 technicians.

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EQUIPMENT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Oils and lubricants Cenex

Cenex Maxtron synthetic diesel engine oils, Maxtron Enviro-EDGE and Maxtron DEO, are designed to perform in harsh conditions. Engineered Cenex with EnduroVis star polymer technology, Cenex said its diesel engine oils protect engines longer to extend equipment life. The balanced additive package provides improved deposit and contamination control to reduce unnecessary wear and restores fuel economy by up to 3% in extreme conditions and 2% in normal conditions. According to Cenex, Maxtron synthetic diesel engine oils reduce downtime.

Chevron

Chevron’s Delo Gold Ultra SAE 15W40 is a high-performance, multigrade, heavy-duty diesel engine oil specifically designed to lubricate a wide range of engines requiring API CI-4 or ACEA E7 performance lubricants, including those with selective catalytic reduction and exhaust recirculation emission control technologies. Delo Gold Ultra is formulated for soot dispersion, deposit control, and wear protection.

Citgo

M y s t i k J T- 6 synthetic heavyduty 460 grease from Citgo is designed for various heavy-duty applications. This grease is Citgo formulated with a high-quality lithium complex thickener system combined with synthetic base oils that can increase bearing life and equipment reliability. Because of its formulation, it provides more wear control,

EP performance, and water resistance. According to Citgo, the grease protects equipment from corrosion.

recommended for use both in EGRequipped diesel engines and in older, non-EGR diesel engines.

ExxonMobil

Shell

Mobil 1 Turbo Diesel Truck 5W-40 full synthetic performance heavy-duty diesel engine oil is said to help extend engine life while providing long drain capability and fuel economy benefits for modern diesel engines operating in severe applications. According to the company, it helps maintain performance at higher temperatures and is also compatible with conventional oils. Its extended drain capability helps increase operating efficiency.

Petro-Canada

Petro-Canada Lubricants DuraDrive HD Synthetic 668 is specially formulated for Allison Transmission’s TES 668 specification. The automatic transPetro-Canada mission fluid offers anti-shudder performance, oxidation control, and protects vital components. The company said it reduces wear and unplanned maintenance and increases life span. DuraDrive HD Synthetic 668 is specified for on-highway vehicles, including vocational applications, and is backward compatible with 1000-4000 Series Allison transmissions that require an approved fluid and with H 40/50 EP and eGen Flex Allison transmissions.

Phillips 66

Phillips 66 Power-D is a synthetic blend universal fleet engine oil designed for use in on-highway diesel trucks and off-highway diesel equipment and light-duty trucks with either diesel or gasoline engines where the viscosity grade is appropriate. It is

Shell Rotella T6 10W-30 full synthetic heavy-duty engine oil with Triple Protection Plus technology offers wear protection and improved fuel Shell Rotella economy. The oil enhances fuel economy up to 2% without compromising engine protection or durability, according to Shell. The oxidation protection keeps that fuel economy throughout the oil drain interval. The company said its T6 10W-30 offers extreme temperature protection in the heat and improved cold start performance.

Valvoline

Valvoline Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 oil is endorsed and recommended by Cummins for all of its engines. This premium CK-4 Valvoline compatible engine oil is formulated for diesel, gas, and natural gas engines, providing a 5,000-mile ODI extension on X15 and X12 engines or 500 hours in L9N natural gas engines. That includes a 5,000-mile drain extension for Premium Blue One Solution Gen2 and Premium Blue Extreme in Cummins X15/X12 engines, which the company said enables up to 80,000 miles when average fuel efficiency is 7 mpg or higher. FO See more details and more oil and lubricant products at FleetOwner.com.

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TECHNOLOGY FEATURE

Fleet diagnostics EVOLUTION

Diagnostics and telematics are increasingly delivering cost savings and operational benefits by Seth Skydel

n the last 20 years, truck diagnostics have evolved in many ways. For manufacturers, the evolution continues. Truck, tractor, and trailer systems increasingly sport advanced telematics and remote diagnostic capabilities. Manufacturers’ executives discussed these features and benefits, along with future growth plans. Their comments were edited for clarity.

FleetOwner: How has remote diagnostics evolved? What are your system’s latest capabilities?

Patrick Brown, Mack: Diagnostics were once primarily done after a problem occurred and the truck was at a shop. But there was little information about how and when an issue occurred, what the truck was doing, and what else was happening during a failure. With monitoring services like GuardDog Connect, diagnostics began to incorporate real-time information, allowing a better understanding of the root cause of a failure. Today, there is much more processing capability for fault codes, which allows for more accurate diagnosis. Remote monitoring can detect issues before they become serious, and manufacturers can notify customers of the severity of the problem and send detailed repair instructions to remedy the situation. Patrick Wallace, Peterbilt: Diagnostics are now more convenient

Photo: Peterbilt

PANEL OF EXPERTS ● Patrick Brown, Mack senior strategy and sustainability manager ● Patrick Wallace, Peterbilt marketing manager for zero-emission

and connected truck

● Magnus Gustafson, Volvo Trucks North America VP of

connected services

● Scott Blair, Lynx Fleet Telematics senior digital program manager,

Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer/Rail Americas

and accessible for fleets and dealers to get actionable information. With Peterbilt’s SmartLINQ line, we offer remote diagnostics for engines and aftertreatment systems that feature fault codes and historical sensor data. That information is helpful to fleet managers and technicians as it speeds up intake at repair facilities and increases uptime. Magnus Gustafson, Volvo: Volvo Remote Diagnostics has evolved with systems updated with analytics capabilities, AI, machine learning, and predictive models. This provides more accurate alerts and notifications. With Volvo Connect, we have added visualization layers so customers know what is

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happening with any vehicle. In addition, with Volvo Remote Programming, we can send software updates directly to the vehicle, often when the driver is resting, to improve performance and help prevent unplanned downtime. Scott Blair, Carrier Transicold: Remote diagnostics are evolving to meet the needs of more specific commercial vehicle applications, and the cold chain is a good example. Shippers of food, pharmaceuticals, and other high-value, temperature-controlled cargo have high standards for compliance, accountability, and uptime. Integrating telematics with a transportation refrigeration unit delivers the monitoring, two-way control, and support these fleets and their customers require. Real-time alerts and exception-based reporting take on added significance for reefer fleets. Operations and maintenance managers want to be notified automatically when something happens that can affect conditions inside the vehicle, such as deviation from temperature setpoints. Lynx Fleet makes remote diagnostics data actionable. It can send a comprehensive report on the TRU engine, compressors, evaporators, temperature probes, and other parts to identify trends.

FO: How do the latest innovations in telematics benefit fleets?

Gustafson: Generally, the latest innovations provide insight

into the performance of a vehicle or a fleet. By understanding how trucks operate, fleets can compare specs and make datadriven decisions. Having that insight and visibility also helps control operations, remotely set and program specific operating parameters, and provide fleet managers with a means to control costs and adjust to external factors such as fuel prices. Blair: The latest innovations focus on remote monitoring and programming for TRU diagnostics and service. Fleets can download information recorded by controllers, including temperatures, unit run-time, and other diagnostic information, and perform over-the-air software updates. Wireless data transfer can also reduce the need for technicians to walk the yard to manage equipment. Efficiencies are gained through remote unit activation and setpoint management, automated pre-trip inspections, hands-free trailer precooling, remote software updates, and wireless data downloads. The result can be a substantial labor savings. Wallace: The latest innovations are really integrations. Fleets want to avoid installing aftermarket hardware and utilize software not optimized for the truck. They want to have their applications interact with the truck systems seamlessly while giving a consistent user experience to the driver and fleet manager across platforms. Having the trucks always connected also enables over-the-air updates.

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TECHNOLOGY FEATURE Brown: Fleets gain many benefits from telematics, including visibility and control. With the recent launch of Mack Connect, our customers have much better visibility of performance, including where trucks are and detailed information about fuel use and safety. The portal also shows any GuardDog Connect diagnostics cases with detailed information about the issue detected and repair instructions.

FO: What role do remote diagnostics play in the ongoing development of predictive and prescriptive maintenance practices?

Blair: Depending on the Lynx Fleet service arrangements, fleets

and dealers can monitor TRU performance collaboratively. Before a driver is even aware of a potential issue, a dispatcher can receive an alert and, with the dealer’s help, determine whether the problem is critical. With the data the TRUs supply and by leveraging our expertise as the OEM, Carrier is developing analytical models to help customers better manage their assets by identifying potential issues before they occur. Brown: The information gathered from GuardDog Connect services enables better failure recognition. We can also intervene before issues worsen and increasingly predict problems based on AI. Gustafson: By collecting data continuously from trucks, we

Improving uptime: How diagnostics and telematics create comprehensive maintenance plans

elematics systems and data are crucial for executing effective maintenance plans, noted Alex Clementi, pre-sales engineer at Decisiv. “Meter data, especially, is essential for keeping track and making sure you’re current on PM schedules,” he emphasized. “Any maintenance schedule that’s based on mileage or engine hours needs constantly updated meter data to ensure you’re within the interval you’ve set for your maintenance parameters.” “Diagnostic data in the form of trouble codes is valuable as well,” he said. “Codes that come up on a regular basis point to areas you may need to adjust maintenance plans.” Diagnostic data can provide historical data points that identify trends over time with specific model years and makes of equipment, Clementi noted. With that information, he added, you can make better decisions and adjustments to maintenance plans. Onboard telematics devices have enabled fleets to pair their diagnostic tools with remote diagnostic applications for around-the-clock monitoring of their entire fleet, according to Jason Hedman, product manager at Noregon. “Remote diagnostics offer the obvious benefits of monitoring vehicles while on the road, but additional uses exist, such as easing the pre-trip inspection process.” “Rather than walk around the yard and connect a diagnostic tool to each tractor to ensure it is road ready, fleets can use applications like TripVision to create geofences around their facilities and view the health, safety, and performance status of each asset,” Hedman said. It also uses historical data in diagnosing recurring issues, he added. “Our JPRO diagnostic tool includes a Fault History feature that allows technicians to view the faults from previous JPRO connections on that asset.” According to Dave Shock, product manager at Nexiq

Technologies, fleet owners and technicians can use diagnostics, telematics, and historical data to monitor performance and identify problems during routine maintenance. “Using a diagnostic tool, Photo: Nexiq a technician identifies the issues, which are recorded in the repair order, along with information such as engine hours, fuel consumption, and miles driven,” Shock explained further. “A fleet manager can then analyze this information against historical and telematics data to identify a trend or pattern.” “Through this process, a repair facility can predict future vehicle breakdowns and address potential problems during regular maintenance before they occur,” he continued. “That improves uptime and also reduces costs.” Diagnostic and telematics devices play crucial roles, Shock noted. For diagnostics, a wide range of solutions are available, including eTechnician commercial vehicle PC-based diagnostics from Nexiq, which can diagnose engines, transmissions, brakes, bodies, and chassis. “Fortunately, thanks to the proliferation of telematics, many fleets already have the technology on their vehicles to begin monitoring them in real-time,” Hedman said. For fleets and service providers, automating the process of receiving diagnostic data is a game changer, noted Alex Clementi. “Across different telematics providers and systems, and fleet and asset management solutions, including the Decisiv SRM platform, you now have information sent to you instead of having to access that data or keep track of it on your own,” he said. FO

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can analyze patterns, find correlations, and tweak programming models. Incorporating actual repair order data and/or warranty claims, we can help customers maximize the life of components and dynamically optimize their maintenance schedules. This helps save on maintenance costs and avoid unnecessary downtime. Wallace: Remote diagnostics are an essential stepping stone to predictive technologies. You need the data to see what issues are arising and what patterns emerge that contribute to those issues. With the proper codes and accompanying sensor data, you have the information to build predictive data models.

FO: What future diagnostic developments do you envision?

Brown: Mack will continue to expand the capabilities to detect and accurately diagnose as many issues as possible. Increasing the use of AI will be a key enabler. Hundreds of thousands of data processed through an AI engine can identify and quantify issues on a macro and individual truck levels and help fleets move toward identifying issues before they become failures. Wallace: We envision more systems being brought into the remote diagnostics umbrella besides engine and aftertreatment. In addition, Peterbilt wants to further enable remote interactions with the truck with new functionalities.

Diagnostics can help technicians find problems early. Photos: Noregon

Blair: Analytics and dashboards will become even more critical as fleets learn to analyze the data they’re collecting. The information can also be shared with most major transportation management systems for one-way monitoring and two-way control. When fleets have a mix of refrigeration units and telematics, integrating inbound unit data through a TMS provides a complete overview of all refrigerated assets, regardless of make. Gustafson: We believe AI will play a significant role in the future. Sharing and providing access to key truck attributes is something we are exploring to provide actionable insights that will help ensure customers can maximize the performance and value of their trucks. FO

NATIONWIDE

DEALER NETWORK AT THE READY!

www.MACTrailer.com Follow us on

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PRIVATE FLEETS by Gary Petty

‘Best show of the year’

Fleet experts will cover topics of current interest for private fleets THE NATIONAL PRIVATE Truck Council’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition is projected to draw another record-setting number of private fleet professionals. The event will take place April 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando and Orange County Convention Center. Registrations are expected to exceed last year’s all-time high of 1,325 attendees. Representatives from more than 180 supplier/vendor companies will exhibit at the show.

NPTC 2024 will provide ample opportunities for business networking. Photo: NPTC

Fleet experts will present and moderate more than three dozen sessions covering topics of current interest for private fleets. Education and networking are the event’s core focus. NPTC’s Conference Planning Committee, made up of some 50 representatives from fleet and allied/supplier companies, has been hard at work over the past several months selecting top speakers and subject-matter content for breakout sessions and workshops.

Over the course of three days, 45 fleet experts will present and moderate more than three dozen sessions discussing topics of current interest to private fleets. More than 20 specialty topics will be discussed in back-toback breakfast roundtable meetings by expert moderators. Leading topics will include “net zero” policy mandates for trucks set by government regulation; a review of “clean truck” legislation passed in California and several other states; a truck industry coalition advocating for sound public policies in the transition toward zero-admissions; and insights into electric vehicle adoption strategies from a major utility company with a large private fleet. A number of other topics will be covered in this program, including driver performance systems; integration of onboard telematics; lessons in recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding the new driver; equipment availability and extended trade cycles; maintenance and total cost of ownership; competitive compensation and benefits in today’s market; automated trucking; driver coaching and videos; the role drivers play in spec’ing equipment; and fleet justification strategies. NPTC’s Certified Transportation Professional program, sponsored by J.J. Keller & Associates, will present the CTP Class of 2024 graduation ceremony honoring more than 100 new CTPs. The CTP Graduate of the Year, sponsored by FleetOwner, will be announced as well. The evening features a Gala Networking Reception from 6:00 – 7:30, sponsored by ACT 1, the Allied Committee for the Trucking Industry. A near-record number of exhibitors will be displaying a wide range of equipment, technologies, specialty resources,

and third-party services at the Exhibition and Trade Show, which will be open for three hours on Sunday and Monday afternoon. The exhibits are one of the most important educational features of the conference. At the luncheon ceremony, which will be held on April 22, the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame and Fleet Safety Awards, sponsored by International Truck, will recognize this year’s top drivers and safest fleets. For the closing luncheon on April 23, a preliminary report on NPTC’s Benchmarking Survey Report, sponsored by Penske Truck Leasing, will be presented by Tom Moore, CTP, NPTC EVP. The conference concludes with the FleetOwner 500 Top Private Fleet of the Year award ceremony, sponsored by Isaac Instruments. Business networking opportunities will be abundant at NPTC 2024. The council’s conference slogan, “You Must Be Present To Win,” emphasizes the importance of face-to-face sharing and learning within a culture of trust and confidentiality. “I’ve greatly enjoyed the NPTC annual conferences. They get better every year,” says Chuck Amen, CTP, chair of the the NPTC Board of Directors and manager of transportation operations for Hillyard Inc. Board Vice Chair/Chair-Elect David Barth, CTP, transportation operations manager at Wegmans Food Markets, concurs. “The conference is a wonderful event that brings the entire culture together. It is the private fleet industry’s premier annual event.” FO Gary Petty | gpetty@nptc.org

Gary Petty has more than 30 years of experience as CEO of national trade associations in the trucking industry. He has been the president and CEO of the National Private Truck Council since 2001.

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PERSPECTIVES FLEET PROFILE

Slimming down to boost payload IMC is lowering shipper costs with lightweight equipment by Seth Skydel

quipment weight matters in all trucking operations, but perhaps none more so than in the highly competitive container drayage market. That’s one reason IMC Logistics is investing significantly in its lightweight fleet. “With lightweight trucks, we’re able to provide drayage services to clients who would otherwise incur multiple cargo touchpoints, transloading, and delayed deliveries,” said Will Connell, regional president of IMC, Gulf Region. “For overweight containers, our option is less expensive and more efficient.” IMC Logistics operates trucks and container chassis on a nationwide network of smart depots to move cargo between rails and ports. Gulf Region serves customers at ports in Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile, Alabama, and from railheads in El Paso and Laredo. More than $3.5 million was invested in new equipment by IMC in the Gulf Region. Recently, the company took delivery of 20 International LT625 tractors to help expand its heavy haul drayage services in the Houston market. “Our new lightweight Internationals weigh 16,000 lb. on average,” reported John May, VP of business development at IMC. “That’s about 3,000 lb. lighter than a typical semi-truck in our fleet, and combined with a lightweight chassis ... we can haul payloads up to 55,000 lb.” Specs for the Internationals shave weight by 1,100 lb. with a smaller Navistar A26 engine. A single 80-gallon fuel tank, wide-base single tires on aluminum wheels, disc brakes, and an under-cab exhaust system also save weight. “Despite their lighter weight, these trucks can handle higher payloads and pull containers of all sizes,” May said. “And while their fuel usage is comparable to heavier models, even with the single tank, our drivers can make

IMC is using lightweight trucks to lower costs and help it better compete in drayage. Photo: IMC

shuttle runs at night without needing fuel between our facilities.” IMC also fields five lightweight International sleeper models. While the sleepers weigh 700 lb. more than the day cabs, in certain scenarios, they can handle longer-haul shipments up to 54,000 lb. with permits and lightweight chassis. The IMC Houston fleet also includes new day cab pusher trucks. “They weigh 500 lb. more than our lightweight models because they carry an extra axle,” May explained. “They’re equipped to haul 40and 20-foot containers that are loaded ‘nose-heavy’ with payload weights up to 47,000 lb. using a standard chassis.” Among the 269 trucks in IMC’s Gulf Region, 40 are company trucks, including 25 Internationals and 15 Mack day cabs. The trucks are kept running efficiently by company shops in larger locations and partnerships with International and Mack dealerships at smaller drayage facilities. In the event of a breakdown, the company has rental agreements with OEM dealers and Penske Truck Leasing. “Scheduling maintenance can be a juggling act in a drayage operation,” May said, “but we’ve been successful by arranging service on weekends and by using mobile PM services.” “We pay close attention to our equipment’s performance because unplanned downtime severely impacts

our operation. For the past nine months, IMC fleets nationwide have been using TMT Fleet Maintenance software to manage maintenance, performance, and cost tracking. The data also lets us see trends and issues that we can address.” Overall, the IMC fleet gets positive reviews from drivers, according to Connell. “Late-model, newer equipment helps retain drivers, and so do our pay and benefits packages,” he explained. “Additionally, our day and night shift drivers are home daily, and sleeper drivers are usually only out overnight two times a week. We also promote a team culture, so everyone is invested in understanding our challenges and working together to find best practices.” Connell said IMC’s approach to drivers reduces turnover and keeps its fleet on track to have 60 drivers for its 40 trucks. For slip seat operations and facilities that operate seven days a week, more drivers than trucks are needed. “Combined, our success with drivers and our equipment—and especially our new lightweight trucks—means we can save our customers money by handling heavier containers without transloading delays and extra cargo handling,” Connell explained. “That is also what makes us a better competitor for freight in our market.” FO

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AD INDEX Company

Page #

Ancra Cargo

Aperia

BendPak

Cat Scale Company

Continental Tire the Americas

East Manufacturing

SALES STAFF

EROAD

FleetPride

Fruehauf

Kylie Hirko EVP/Transportation kylie@fleetowner.com

Hendrickson USA

Cover, 35

High Bar Brands dba Minimizer

Isuzu Truck

MAC Trailer Enterprises

McLeod Software

National Private Truck Council

Noregon Systems

NTEA

Penske Truck Leasing

Peterson Manufacturing

PrePass

Red Eye Radio

Stoughton Trailers

Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC, ATA/MCE)

Trail King Industries

Uline

Zonar Systems

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56 FleetOwner | February 2024

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