Less-Than-Truckload Carriers

Less-Than-Truckload Carriers

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry provide long-distance, general freight delivery of less-than-truckload shipments. Major companies include US-based ArcBest, FedEx Freight, Old Dominion Freight Line, XPO Logistics, and YRC; as well as DHL Freight (Germany) and TFI International (Canada).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by manufacturing output, residential and commercial construction activity, and retail spending. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations. Large companies have advantages in fleet size, economies of scale (particularly related to bulk fuel purchasing), scope of services, and geographic reach. Small companies can compete effectively by offering daily or next-day deliveries within a small region, or providing specialized services such as transportation of oversized loads or delicate equipment. The US industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 85 percent of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Companies typically offer transportation of boxed, palletized, and other packed goods (accounts for more than 95% of the industry's revenue). Other services include commercial moving, transportation of dry bulks, climate-controlled boxed, palletized packed good, as well as transportation of small packages and documents.