Largest Trucking Companies in the US
Who hauls America’s freight, and why it matters when one of their trucks causes a crash.
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The US trucking industry generated $906 billion in gross freight revenue in 2024 and moved 72.7% of all domestic freight by weight. The 20 largest for-hire carriers, ranked by the Transport Topics Top 100 (2025 edition), operate hundreds of thousands of trucks across every US highway. When one of those trucks causes a crash, the carrier’s size, legal resources, and insurance structure directly affect how victims recover compensation.
The 20 Largest US Trucking Companies (2024 Revenue)
These rankings reflect 2024 fiscal-year revenue from the Transport Topics Top 100 For-Hire Carriers (2025 edition), supplemented by Logistics Management’s Top 50 (April 2025) and individual company filings. Revenue includes all segments (trucking, logistics, parcel) unless noted.
| Rank | Company | 2024 Revenue | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UPS Inc. | $91.1 billion | 490,000 employees; 19,267 tractors; Louisville Worldport hub |
| 2 | FedEx Corp. | $87.8 billion | 430,000 employees; 38,384 tractors; FedEx Freight spinoff June 2026 |
| 3 | J.B. Hunt Transport | $12.1 billion | 33,646 employees; intermodal and truckload leader |
| 4 | TFI International | $8.4 billion | 27,124 employees; TForce Freight (former UPS Freight) LTL |
| 5 | XPO Inc. | $8.1 billion | 38,000 employees; 9,700 tractors; North American LTL |
| 6 | Ryder System | $7.7 billion | 39,200 employees; fleet management and dedicated transport |
| 7 | Knight-Swift | $7.4 billion | 35,300 employees; largest TL carrier; expanding LTL nationally |
| 8 | Estes Express Lines | $5.9 billion | 24,305 employees; major LTL carrier (private, family-owned) |
| 9 | Old Dominion Freight | $5.8 billion | 22,522 employees; LTL industry leader in on-time delivery |
| 10 | Schneider National | $5.3 billion | 19,400 employees; acquired Cowan Systems in Q4 2024 |
| 11 | Landstar System | $4.8 billion | Asset-light model; 8,843 owner-operator tractors |
| 12 | Penske Logistics | $4.3 billion | 21,071 employees; dedicated fleet operations |
| 13 | ArcBest | $4.2 billion | 14,000 employees; ABF Freight LTL subsidiary |
| 14 | Hub Group | $3.9 billion | 6,300 employees; intermodal and logistics |
| 15 | R+L Carriers | $3.8 billion | HQ near Kentucky border; major regional LTL |
| 16 | NFI | $3.6 billion | 18,200 employees; dedicated fleet and warehousing |
| 17 | Saia Inc. | $3.2 billion | 15,000 employees; 168 terminals across 43 states |
| 18 | Werner Enterprises | $3.0 billion | 13,191 employees; truckload and logistics |
| 19 | Prime Inc. | $2.5 billion | Refrigerated and tanker operations |
| 20 | Kenan Advantage Group | $2.4 billion | 10,000 employees; bulk liquid transport |
Combined, these 20 companies generated over $267 billion in revenue in 2024 and employ more than 1.2 million people. UPS alone is Louisville’s largest employer, with its Worldport global hub processing roughly 400,000 packages per hour across 5.2 million square feet.
US Trucking Industry by the Numbers
Trucks are the backbone of the American supply chain. According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), commercial trucks moved 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024, accounting for 72.7% of all domestic freight by weight. The industry employed 3.58 million professional truck drivers and supported 8.4 million trucking-related jobs total.
There are approximately 14.89 million registered trucks (Class 6 and above) on US roads, including roughly 2.97 million tractor-trailers. About 580,000 active motor carriers are registered with the FMCSA. Of those, 91.5% operate 10 or fewer trucks, meaning the overwhelming majority of trucking companies are small operations.
National Large Truck Crash Data
In 2023, 5,472 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Another 153,452 people were injured. The FMCSA recorded 156,553 total crashes involving at least one large truck, a 7% decrease from 2022.
A critical detail: 70% of fatalities in large truck crashes were occupants of the other vehicle, not the truck. The size and weight disparity makes occupants of passenger vehicles overwhelmingly more vulnerable.
Every Motor Carrier Must Follow FMCSA Rules
Every carrier operating in interstate commerce, from UPS down to a two-truck owner-operator, must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations. When carriers violate these rules and someone gets hurt, those violations become powerful evidence of negligence:
- Hours-of-service limits: 11 hours driving within a 14-hour window
- Required ELD (electronic logging device) compliance
- Mandatory drug and alcohol testing programs
- Regular vehicle inspections and maintenance records
- Driver qualification file requirements
How Big Carriers Are Structured, and Why It Matters After a Crash
Understanding how these companies are organized matters if one of their trucks hits you. Large carriers use complex structures to manage liability, and those structures directly affect who pays for your injuries.
Company drivers vs. owner-operators: Some carriers employ drivers directly. Others, like Landstar, use independent owner-operators who own their trucks but operate under the carrier’s authority. When an owner-operator causes a crash, the carrier may claim the driver was a contractor, not an employee. Federal regulations and court decisions have repeatedly rejected this argument when the carrier controls how and when the driver operates.
Insurance towers: Giants like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon use layered “insurance towers.” A primary policy covers the first layer (often $1 million), then excess layers stack on top. Some self-insure the first $1–5 million through reserves. The money is there to compensate crash victims. Getting access to it is the challenge. The MCS-90 endorsement guarantees payment even if a carrier’s primary policy is disputed.
Rapid response teams: The moment a serious crash happens, major carriers deploy investigators, adjusters, and attorneys to the scene within hours. Their job is to gather evidence and shape the narrative before victims can act. That is why preserving trucking crash evidence immediately is so important.
Carrier Types: TL, LTL, and Owner-Operators
The type of carrier involved in a crash affects who is liable and what evidence is available.
Truckload (TL) Carriers
These companies move a single shipper’s freight in one trailer: Knight-Swift, Werner, Prime. One driver, one load, one destination. Liability chains are typically straightforward, though the driver’s hours-of-service records and the carrier’s hiring practices always matter.
Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Carriers
LTL carriers like Old Dominion and Saia combine shipments from multiple customers into one trailer. Cargo securement becomes more complex, and improperly loaded freight is a leading cause of crashes. In 2024, the LTL market was reshaped after Yellow Corporation’s bankruptcy eliminated the nation’s largest LTL carrier, and competitors like Estes, Saia, and Old Dominion absorbed its terminal network and freight volume.
Owner-Operators and Small Fleets
Thousands of small carriers with 1–10 trucks operate across the US. According to the ATA, 91.5% of all registered carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks. Their insurance minimums are set by federal law ($750,000 for general freight), but their actual coverage may be limited. Trucking accident claims involving small carriers require careful investigation of all responsible parties, including freight brokers who may have hired an unqualified carrier.
If a commercial truck hit you in Kentucky, the carrier’s size does not change your rights, but it changes the strategy. Massive carriers have sophisticated defense teams. Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers has a dedicated trucking and commercial vehicle team that knows how to take on carriers of every size.
“I was one of those people who felt injury lawyers were not necessary if it was 100% the other party’s fault. I was so wrong… They received over five times the amount initially offered and got the medical bills covered.”— Jill M.
Kentucky: A National Trucking Crossroads
Kentucky sits within 600 miles of over 60% of the nation’s population, personal income, and manufacturing, making it one of the most critical freight crossroads in the US. The state has 7,130 centerline miles of designated highway freight network, and every one of the top 20 trucking companies listed above operates through Kentucky corridors.
Major interstates I-65, I-75, I-64, and I-71 carry heavy truck traffic through Louisville, Lexington, and across the state. Louisville alone anchors UPS Worldport, which makes Jefferson County one of the highest-density commercial vehicle zones in the country.
Kentucky Truck Crash Data (2024)
According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Kentucky recorded 9,736 truck collisions in 2024. Of those, 99 were fatal, killing 80 people and injuring 1,898 others. Trucks accounted for nearly 5% of all collision vehicles but 7% of vehicles in fatal crashes.
An alarming detail from KYTC data: 41% of drivers involved in Kentucky truck crashes were out-of-state residents, and that number rose to 44% in fatal crashes. Many of these are drivers for the large interstate carriers listed above, passing through Kentucky’s major corridors.
Kentucky also carries a traffic fatality rate of 1.45 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the 9th highest in the nation, compared to the US average of 1.2.
2025–2026 Industry Shakeup
The trucking industry entered 2025 in the middle of the “Great Freight Recession,” the longest sustained downturn in modern industry history. Spanning 13+ consecutive quarters of weak freight demand, the downturn reshaped the competitive landscape.
Yellow Corporation collapse: The nation’s third-largest LTL carrier filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2023 and shut down all operations, affecting roughly 30,000 employees. Its 130 terminal properties sold at auction for $1.88 billion, primarily to competitors like Estes, Saia, and Old Dominion.
FedEx Freight spinoff: FedEx announced plans to spin off FedEx Freight as an independent public company (NYSE: FDXF) expected June 1, 2026. With approximately $8.9 billion in LTL revenue, FedEx Freight will become the largest standalone publicly traded LTL carrier.
Carrier exits: An estimated 5,000–8,000 trucking companies effectively exited the market in 2025, the largest shakeout since deregulation in 1980. Notable bankruptcies included Montgomery Transport, Elite Carriers, and Sparhawk Trucking.
Consolidation: Schneider acquired Cowan Systems (~$390M, Q4 2024), and Knight-Swift acquired Dependable Highway Express to build a national LTL network. Enterprise Mobility entered the heavy-truck leasing business by acquiring Hogan Truck Leasing in December 2025.
What Happens When One of These Companies Causes Your Crash
When a large carrier’s truck causes a crash, the legal process moves differently than a standard car accident. The differences between car and truck accident cases are significant:
- Federal regulations create additional liability theories: Violation of FMCSA hours-of-service rules, HOS violations, or driver qualification failures can all establish negligence per se.
- Multiple defendants are often involved: The driver, the carrier, the shipper, the broker, and the truck manufacturer may all share responsibility.
- Critical evidence has short retention windows: Black box data can be overwritten within days. FMCSA rules require driver logs to be retained for only 6 months.
- Insurance limits are higher: Federal minimums start at $750,000 for general freight, and large carriers carry far more. The money to pay your claim exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the largest trucking company in the United States?
By total revenue, UPS is the largest for-hire carrier at $91.1 billion (2024). By truckload-specific revenue, J.B. Hunt leads. FedEx operates the largest tractor fleet at 38,384 units. Rankings shift depending on whether you measure revenue, fleet size, or cargo type.
How many truck crashes happen in the US each year?
In 2023, the National Safety Council reported approximately 528,177 police-reported crashes involving large trucks nationally. The FMCSA recorded 156,553 crashes meeting its reporting threshold, resulting in 5,472 deaths and over 153,000 injuries.
Can I sue a large trucking company if their driver hit me?
Yes. Under federal law and Kentucky state law, you can pursue claims against the driver, the carrier, and any other parties whose negligence contributed to the crash. Federal regulations hold carriers responsible for how their trucks operate on public roads, even when drivers are classified as independent contractors in many situations.
Do big trucking companies carry more insurance than small carriers?
Yes, significantly more. While federal law requires a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage for general freight carriers, the largest companies carry policies in the tens or hundreds of millions. Some self-insure through reserves well above federal minimums. Getting access to that money requires cutting through layers of corporate and insurance defense.
What happened to Yellow Corporation and why does it matter?
Yellow Corporation, the nation’s third-largest LTL carrier, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2023 and shut down all operations. Its 130 terminals were auctioned for $1.88 billion. The collapse concentrated more freight onto fewer carriers, increasing truck traffic volumes on corridors already carrying heavy loads.
Why is Kentucky a hotspot for trucking accidents?
Kentucky sits within 600 miles of 60% of the US population and manufacturing base, making it a critical freight crossroads. Interstates I-65, I-75, and I-64 carry some of the highest truck traffic volumes in the eastern US. In 2024, Kentucky recorded 9,736 truck collisions resulting in 80 deaths and 1,898 injuries.
How quickly do trucking companies respond after a crash?
Large carriers deploy rapid response teams, including investigators, adjusters, and attorneys, within hours of a serious crash. Their goal is to gather evidence and minimize the carrier’s exposure before victims can act. A preservation letter needs to go to the carrier immediately to prevent destruction of black box data, maintenance records, and driver logs.
What is the Great Freight Recession?
The Great Freight Recession refers to the trucking industry downturn spanning 13+ consecutive quarters of weak freight demand starting in mid-2022. Total US trucking revenue fell from $1 trillion in 2023 to $906 billion in 2024. An estimated 5,000–8,000 carriers exited the market in 2025 alone.