UPS, Amazon & FedEx top North America logistics firms chart
10. CSX
CSX is a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation based out of Jacksonville, Florida. As a railroad, the company operates around 21,000 route miles of track. The company was formed in 1981 by combining the railroads of the former Chessie System, Seaboard Coast Line Industries then the Seaboard System Railroad in 1986. The brand is currently valued at $4bn.
9. CN Logistics
With a brand value of $4.4bn, CN Logistics is a Canadian-based transportation company that offers integrated services covering rail, intermodal, trucking, freight forwarding, warehousing and distribution. CN has approximately 24,000 railroaders and transports more than $250bn worth of goods annually for an array of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America.
8. McLane Company
The McLane Company is one of the largest supply chain service leaders providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for convenience stores, drug stores and more in the US. It has one of the largest private fleets in America and delivers around 50,000 products to 110,000 locations and employs around 20,000 employees. The President and CEO of McLane since 1995 is W. Grady Rosier and its brand value is currently $4.8bn.
7. Union Pacific
Union Pacific is a freight hauling railroad that operates 8,500 locomotives consisting of 43 different models, operating over 32,100 route miles. Its system is the second biggest in the US. The company started in back in 1862 when it was called the Union Pacific Rail Road and its current CEO is Lance M. Fritz. The brand value of the company is thought to be $7.8bn.
6. JB Hunt
As one of the largest transportation logistics firms in North America, JB Hunt offers an integrated, multimodal approach and offers capacity-orientated solutions centred around driving customer value and industry-leading service.
The company offers full truckload transportation, container and trailer transportation, customised freight transportation, revenue equipment and customised labour and system services.
Considered a pioneer in the logistics space, its intermodal approach operates a fleet of company-owned 53’ containers and drayage fleets in North America. The company has a range of long-standing relationships with major rail providers, including the likes of BNSF, Norfolk Southern, CSX and CN to ensure capacity.
5. CH Robinson
CH Robinson solves logistics problems for organisations all over the world and across a range of industries. It is considered one of the world’s leading logistics platforms and operates almost US$20bn in freight under management and 18 million shipments annually. It serves a diverse range of markets, including North America, Asia Pacific, EMEA, South America and Oceania.
4. XPO Logistics
US global shipping and contract logistics services organisation XPO Logistics boasts 1,530 sites in 30 countries. It is responsible for the supply chains of 69% of Fortune 100 firms. Specialty areas include freight brokerage, intermodal and drayage (short-distance logistics), last-mile distribution, and global forwarding. KN Integrated Logistics is its supply chain arm, and areas it handles include supplier and inventory management, aftermarket management and supply chain Technology. XPO’s headquarters are in Greenwich, Connecticut.
It serves a range of industries, such as automotive, manufacturing and healthcare, among many others. The firm has three main international freight forwarding solutions, featuring its Ocean and Air Freight, in addition to its Global Order Logistics solution.
3. FedEx
Based in Memphis, Tennessee, FedEx is a US global freight company. It was founded in 1971 as Federal Express, and was a specialist in expedited deliveries. FedEx is the world's largest cargo carrier in terms of scheduled freight tonne kilometers, and the fourth largest in terms of fleet size. The company has operations in 220 countries and has 3,000 metres squared of warehouse space. Its revenue in 2020 was US$69mn.
FedEx Supply Chain, is a 3PL provider in the US and Canada. Industries it serves include: technology and electronics, retail and e-commerce, consumer and industrial goods, and healthcare industries.
FedEx today, is best known for its air delivery service, FedEx Express. It was one of the first major shipping companies to offer overnight delivery as a flagship service.
2. Amazon Logistics
Amazon Logistics is a shipping and delivery service that complements existing third-party logistics (3PL) providers such as UPS, USPS and FedEx.
Amazon stipulates certain conditions for its 3PL providers, including licensing, vehicle sizing, safety training and insurance. The 3PLs providers are contracted to pick up deliveries at Amazon warehouses and sorting centres for distribution. They use Amazon tech to guide their deliveries, but they enjoy flexible schedules and pick up shipments at-will.
It offers seven-day and same-day delivery options, and utilises a host of third-party logistics partners across the country to make it happen, including walkers, bicyclists and motorcyclists in some areas.
1. UPS
US-based parcel delivery service UPS (United Parcel Service) has been around for more than a century, having been founded in 1907 as a messenger service operating out of Seattle. The company specialises in shipping, air freight, trucking, last-mile distribution, and drone delivery. It now has its HQ in Atlanta, Georgia.
UPS has more than 35 million sq ft of distribution and warehousing facilities in 1,000 locations that are based in 120 countries. In all, it serves 220 countries and territories. It is the largest courier company in the world by revenue, with US$85bn in 2020, ahead of competitors DHL and FedEx.
In 2021 - following a shift to smaller customers during the Covid-19 pandemic, UPS reported a 21% jump in Q$ sales, to US$24.9bn.
