R+L Carriers

What R+L Carriers does

R+L Carriers is a privately held, family-owned freight transportation company founded in 1964 and headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio. The company's core business is less-than-truckload (LTL) freight shipping, delivered through an owned and operated service center network that covers all 50 U.S. states plus Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and provides cross-border LTL and truckload service to Canada and Mexico. The product portfolio spans LTL, full truckload brokerage (dry van, flatbed, temperature-controlled, high-value/high-risk, intermodal, expedited), Business Critical time-definite services, value-added offerings (hazmat, freeze protection, liftgate, final mile, white glove, custom crating, Load & Protect bulkhead), and global logistics through the affiliated R+L Global Logistics brand, which adds air freight, ocean FCL, customs brokerage, warehousing, supply chain management, reverse logistics, and trade show logistics.

The underlying technology platform is centered on the MyRLC customer portal and a comprehensive API suite (rate quotes, BOL, pickup, tracing, transit times, document retrieval, notifications, claim status), complemented by EDI integration, in-cab scanning for real-time documentation, and participation in project44's Preferred Carrier Program with a Logixboard-powered Global Vision visibility layer. Performance metrics — 99.6% exception-free delivery, 98% on-time service, 85% nationwide liftgate coverage, and a sub-1% claims ratio with 30-day settlement — are publicly marketed as differentiators, alongside the company's operating ratio in the 80s.

R+L generates revenue through transactional freight pricing with blanket discounts published to all customers, supplemented by sales-led engagement via inside sales representatives for account setup and managed-services revenue from warehousing and supply chain engagements. The customer base spans general commodities shippers, truckload shippers, global/international shippers, specialized handling shippers, and e-commerce/retail shippers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and global trade lanes. The wholly-owned subsidiary structure — including AFC Worldwide Express (dba R+L Global Logistics), R+L Truckload Service, Greenwood Motor Lines, ABCO Transportation, AFC International, and Paramount Transportation — supports the integrated service offering without external capital backing from venture or private equity investors.

Name

R+L Carriers

Legal name

R&L Carriers, Inc.

Website

https://rlcarriers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

R+L Carriers is a privately held, family-owned LTL freight carrier founded in 1964, operating an owned service center network across all 50 U.S. states with cross-border coverage into Canada and Mexico. It serves general commodities, truckload, global logistics, specialized handling, and e-commerce shippers through LTL, truckload, and affiliated R+L Global Logistics services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (484121), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pool Distribution / Multi-Stop LTL Carriers (TLADAEAF), Specialized Equipment Transport (Flatbed, Step-Deck, Lowboy, Car Carrier) (TLAIAMAH), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL)

Keywords

• LTL freight shipping
• Truckload transportation
• Global freight forwarding
• Logistics services
• Warehousing fulfillment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. LTL Freight Shipping: Core revenue from less-than-truckload freight shipping services across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. R+L Carriers provides coast-to-coast LTL delivery with various service levels including standard, guaranteed, and expedited options.
2. Truckload Services: Full truckload (FTL) freight brokerage and transportation services including dry van, flatbed, temperature-controlled, expedited, and high-value/high-risk cargo handling for shipments of 22,000+ pounds or full trailer capacity.
3. Global/International Logistics: International shipping solutions including air freight, ocean shipping (FCL), customs brokerage, import/export services, and air charters through R+L Global Logistics affiliate.
4. Value-Added Services: Additional services including liftgate delivery, hazmat shipping, freeze protection, custom crating, final mile delivery, white glove service, and trade show logistics.
5. Warehousing and Fulfillment: Short and long-term warehousing solutions, e-commerce fulfillment, order management, and supply chain management services through R+L Global Logistics network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

R+L Carriers is a privately held freight transportation company that provides Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipping services across the United States and to international destinations. Founded in 1964/1965 and headquartered near Wilmington, Ohio, the company operates an owned network of terminals and equipment and offers complementary services including truckload shipping, expedited delivery, warehousing and fulfillment, and global freight forwarding through its R+L Global Logistics division.

Product overview

R+L Carriers is a freight shipping and logistics company offering a comprehensive transportation platform centered on Less-than-Truckload (LTL) services as its core product, complemented by truckload brokerage, and global logistics capabilities through its R+L Global Logistics subsidiary. The product portfolio includes: (1) LTL Services as the flagship offering with coast-to-coast U.S. coverage plus Canada and Mexico transborder service; (2) Business Critical add-on services for guaranteed and expedited delivery with time-definite windows; (3) Truckload Services including dry van, flatbed, temperature-controlled, intermodal, and Mexico transborder capabilities; (4) Value-added services such as hazmat shipping, freeze protection, liftgate, final mile delivery, custom crating, and in-cab scanning; (5) Technology platforms including MyRLC customer portal, EDI, and API tools for B2B integration; (6) R+L Global Logistics providing air freight, ocean shipping, customs brokerage, warehousing with warehouse management systems, supply chain management, reverse logistics, and trade show logistics. The company serves customers through digital tools including rate quoting, shipment tracing, transit time calculation, and document management, with documented performance metrics of 99.6% exception-free delivery and 98% on-time service performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.6% exception-free delivery rate
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• R+L Global Logistics (Affiliate)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR+L Global Logistics is an affiliated company under the R+L Carriers corporate umbrella, providing international shipping services including air freight, ocean shipping (FCL), customs brokerage, and global logistics solutions. The affiliation enables comprehensive end-to-end logistics services from domestic LTL to global transportation.
• R+L TruckloadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR+L Truckload is an affiliated company providing full truckload (FTL) freight services including dry van, flatbed, temperature-controlled, and specialized transportation. Part of the integrated R+L service offering for shipments exceeding LTL capacity.
• ABCO TransportationminorOthersListed as an affiliated company in the R+L Global Logistics network. ABCO Transportation operates as a separate carrier entity within the corporate family.
• AFC InternationalminorOthersListed as an affiliated company under R+L Carriers legal entity (Greenwood Motor Lines, Inc. dba AFC Worldwide Express, Inc., dba R+L Global Logistics). Provides international freight forwarding and customs services.
• Paramount Transportation Logistics Services / Paramount Freight SystemsminorOthersListed as an affiliated company in the R+L Global Logistics network of affiliated carriers and logistics providers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hub Group: Public intermodal and logistics provider with brokerage and dedicated services. Comparable to R+L's intermodal product line and truckload brokerage business, with overlap on large enterprise shippers.
• RXO (XPO spinoff): Public asset-light freight brokerage and last-mile provider with managed transportation services. Comparable to R+L's truckload brokerage and supply chain management offerings rather than the asset-based LTL core.
• Knight-Swift Transportation: Largest U.S. truckload carrier that has been expanding into LTL via the U.S. Xpress and AAA Cooper deals. Broad incumbent competing with R+L on truckload brokerage and increasingly on LTL lanes.
• FedEx Freight: The largest LTL carrier in North America and a unit of FedEx. Competes with R+L on national LTL and freight-adjacent services but operates at materially larger scale and as part of a broader FedEx portfolio.

Direct peers

• Estes Express Lines: Privately held, family-owned national LTL carrier and the closest structural analog to R+L: private, family-controlled, asset-based LTL with regional density and a broad value-added service portfolio.
• Old Dominion Freight Line: The largest U.S. LTL carrier by revenue and the public-market benchmark for LTL operational excellence (consistently sub-70s OR). Directly comparable to R+L on LTL service, terminal network, and shipper customer base, and represents the upper bound on what an asset-based LTL operator can achieve.
• Saia Inc. Public LTL carrier with a comparable multi-regional service-center model and similar customer segments (general commodities, retail, manufacturing). Closely comparable to R+L on service mix, geographic reach, and growth profile.
• Southeastern Freight Lines: Privately held regional LTL carrier with strong Southeastern U.S. density and expanding national footprint. Direct competitor for LTL volume and comparable on owned-network, asset-heavy operating model.
• ArcBest (ABF Freight): Public LTL operator (ABF Freight) plus asset-light logistics. Highly comparable to R+L's combined LTL plus truckload brokerage plus global logistics profile and serves the same broad shipper base.
• TForce Freight (TFI International): LTL business of TFI International, formed from the former UPS Freight. Direct LTL competitor with national coverage, similar service-center model, and a comparable diversified logistics platform via its parent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rlcarriers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/rlcarriersinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/rlcarriers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1127869
• Instagraminstagram.com/rlcarriers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about R+L Carriers