2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST TRUCK TRANSPORT COMPANIES
2017 Guide: Utilizing the Largest Trucking Companies
The truck transport industry is booming and is still one of the best ways to transport your products or materials from one location to another. If you are looking into utilizing trucking services for your business, there are many opportunities.
With many of the largest trucking companies offering a variety of services, it can be hard to choose the right one for you. There are so many variables to take into consideration from rates and reliability to more advanced factors like tracking and types of services. Each truck transport company offers its own combination of services and rates, and the best trucking companies for some might not be the right fit for you.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Trucking Companies
With the varying options and the sheer number of largest trucking companies vying for your business, it is easy to become overwhelmed. The search process can often be frustrating, especially if you are unsure of what you should be looking for to begin with.
When you are trying to choose between major trucking companies, you likely have questions, including:
- What services do trucking companies offer?
- How does the trucking industry charge?
- What should you look for in a trucking company?
- What are the top trucking companies?
Throughout this 2017 guide, we will answer the questions you have surrounding the trucking industry. We will explain what to look for in a trucking business and what features make for the best truck service. Finally, we will provide a detailed review of the six best and biggest trucking companies.
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AdvisoryHQ’s List of Top 6 Best Trucking Companies
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the trucking companies below to go directly to the detailed review section for that trucking business site):
Top 6 Best Trucking Companies | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Best Trucking Companies | Variable | Variable |
FedEx Corp. | FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, & FedEx Custom | Parcel |
J.B. Hunt Transport Services | Truckload, Dedicated Contract Services, & Integrated Capacity | TL |
Landstar System | Light Asset | TL |
Old Dominion | Old Dominion Freight Line | LTL |
Swift Transportation | Swift Transportation | TL |
UPS Inc. | UPS Ground & UPS Freight | Parcel |
Detailed Overview: What to Look for in a Truck Service
Sometimes, there is no way around the fact that you need to hire a trucking company. This might be the last thing you want to do both logistically and financially, but if you need to distribute products on a large scale, the trucking industry is often the best way to achieve this.
However, there are many options for trucking companies, and you need to be sure that you are selecting the best ones. With so many options, it can be hard to figure out where to even begin. Do you want the largest trucking companies, the top trucking companies, or will any of the major trucking companies do just fine?
It can often be hard to distinguish between trucking companies, especially if you are unsure what you should be looking for in the first place. Although cost is a major determining factor in what truck transport you choose, there are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration.
When choosing companies, you need to know what to look for. That’s the only way you will be able to make the appropriate choice for your business. When you are looking at the biggest trucking companies, it is important to consider the following:
Type of Services: Different companies offer different trucking services, and this is something that you need to keep in mind. Are you looking for a specific type of service, such as long-haul versus short-haul? If you are, be sure that the trucking business you choose offers the specific service that you require.
Area of Coverage: This seems like common sense, but it can often be overlooked. Your first step should be determining whether or not a truck service operates in the area that you require. Some of the biggest trucking companies might fit your criteria list perfectly, but if they don’t deliver in the area that you need them to, it’s a moot point.
Image Source: Pexels
Rates: Cost is always an important variable when you are looking for the best trucking services because logistically you want to be able to cut down on your expenses. However, cost is not always as straightforward as comparing one number to another. Most companies charge for different routes and even weight amounts. You need to do a thorough comparison, looking at quotes from several truck transport companies.
Type of Trucks: If you are shipping refrigerated products, you will need to find the top trucking companies that can handle this request. If you are shipping liquid products or even massive objects, you will want to make sure the trucking companies you are looking at have the types of trucks necessary to offer those services. Most of the largest trucking companies will have a variety of truck types, but it is important to double check.
Tracking Services: When you order something online from a store, isn’t it nice to view constant tracking so you know where your item is and when it will arrive? Well, when you have thousands, if not tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars of product or materials loaded on a truck, don’t you want to be able to check where it is at? That is why you want to look for the best trucking companies that offer quality tracking services.
Reliability: When it comes to trucking, perhaps no feature is more important than the reliability of a truck transport company. It doesn’t matter what truck type, how great the tracking is, or how low the cost is, if your truck doesn’t arrive on time or arrives damaged. Of course, weather delays and accidents are bound to happen occasionally, but it is important to read reviews to determine whether these “incidents” seem habitual.
As you can see from the list above, there are many things to consider when you are trying to find the top trucking services for your business. You want to be sure that you find lower rates but also get reliability and safety in your deliveries. The best and largest trucking companies should be able to offer most, if not all, of the features listed above.
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Advisory HQ’s Selection Methodology
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Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Truck Transport Companies
Below, please find the detailed review of each trucking company on our list of top trucking companies. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these major trucking companies to score so highly in our selection ranking.
FedEx Corp. Review
FedEx Corp is easily one of the largest trucking companies when it comes to volume of trucks and revenues. The global courier delivery service is based in Memphis, Tennessee and provides a very wide variety of trucking services among other logistical offerings.
The company began in 1973 and has since grown from a truck transport company to become a global all-cargo air fleet. The company offers services through a variety of names, such as FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx Office, and FedEx Freight, among others.
The unique thing about this global company offering trucking services is that their services are scalable. Whether you need to transport a few things or truckloads, FedEx can help you. It’s also nice to have local stores, backed by the expansive network that touches down in the far reaches of the globe.
Bottom Line
As far as global trucking companies go, FedEx is one of the largest trucking companies. Whether you have small shipments for a small business, or daily truckloads heading out, FedEx can accommodate.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Review
J.B. Hunt Transport Services is another one of the best trucking companies. The company has its roots based in trucking and has stuck to that focus. Unlike some of the largest trucking companies like FedEx and UPS, J.B. Hunt Transport Services is keen on sticking to trucking. This sole focus is what enables them to excel in the truck transport industry.
If you are looking for more global trucking services, J.B. Hunt Transport Services shouldn’t be your top pick. They service North America with a primary focus in the 48 continental U.S. states.
They offer a variety of trucking services with the help of over 18,000 employees. Their customized chassis and trailer combination is what has helped J.B. Hunt to excel. These trailers can easily be stacked to shift onto rail cars and the integration between trucking and rail car is nearly unparalleled.
Bottom Line
As far as the best trucking companies, J.B. Hunt Transport Services might be the best fit for your company. With a sole focus in trucking, you know that their efforts are concentrated.
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Landstar System Review
When you are looking for the best trucking companies, Landstar System is certainly one that should come across your radar. This is an American transportation company based in Jacksonville, Florida.
The great thing about Landstar System is that they don’t just move your items from point A to point B. They offer supply chain solutions that integrate both domestic and global trucking services. They offer truckload van, step deck, heavy and specialized, LTL, and expedited services.
If you are looking into border crossing truck transport, Landstar System can also help. They work throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico, in their logistic services that are carried out by a fleet of over 13,000 trailers.
Bottom Line
From domestic to international, truck to air, Landstar System is one of the best trucking companies out there. They might be a good fit for your business.
Old Dominion Review
Old Dominion is another truck transport company that offers many trucking services. The company offers less than truckload (LTL) services throughout a wide area.
If you are looking for domestic shipping services, Old Dominion has a single-source operation that offers nationwide coverage across the United States. The Super Regional Service also allows you to ship intra- and inter-regionally with cost efficiency, strong reliability, and competitive transport times. They have an impressive 226 service centers to make the process feel local.
Old Dominion also offers trucking services for those needing time-sensitive deliveries. Their services are guaranteed, and they even offer a weekend promise that guarantees Friday to Monday services with 95% on-time delivery rates.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for one of the largest trucking companies when it comes to domestic shipping, Old Dominion certainly fits the bill.
Swift Transportation Review
Another company offering stellar trucking services is Swift Transportation. Swift prides itself on being the largest full truckload carrier in North America, and the services they offer reflect this. The American trucking company was founded in 1966 and has grown to be one of the largest trucking companies in North America.
Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Swift Transportation offers full truckload shipping services as well as supply chain solutions and logistics. Through its main subsidiaries, Swift Intermodal and Central Refrigerated Service, Swift offers intermodal transportation services, as well as refrigerated freight trucking services.
The temperature control carrier boasts a vast fleet of 18,000 tractors, 8,700 intermodal containers, and 57,300 trailers throughout the United States. They also employ an impressive number of people, topping out just under 20,000 employees.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for the largest trucking companies or one offering refrigeration services, Swift Transportation is definitely a company to consider.
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UPS Inc. Review
UPS Inc. is formerly known as United Parcel Service, and while they have shortened their name since being founded in 1907, the number of trucking services they offer has only expanded.
The Atlanta-based company is the largest overall transport operator in America, and just second when it comes to the global scale. Their parcel package, LTL, and supply chain services are paralleled by none as they deliver 16.3 million packages throughout 220 countries every year.
The great thing about UPS is their supply chain solutions, which can help businesses from large to small find the best trucking and delivery options for their products and materials.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for some of the best trucking companies, UPS is definitely worth a second look!
Conclusion – Top 6 Best Trucking Services
With so many options for the best trucking company, it can be hard to choose the right one. There are so many options for the largest trucking companies that you can easily become overwhelmed.
Source: Pexels
When you are looking for the top truck transport companies to ship your goods or materials, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
- What type of materials are you shipping? Do they require certain packaging or temperature requirements? How heavy are your shipments?
- What locations are you shipping your products to?
- Are you willing to pay more to have superior tracking capabilities?
- What is your budget for hiring the best trucking companies?
These are all important questions to ask, as they have an impact on what the best trucking services are for you. The trucking industry is not one size fits all, so you want to make sure that you are choosing the right company for your business. This might not be the best company for someone else, but it is important to find the right fit for you and what you are shipping.
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