Ploger Transportation

What Ploger Transportation does

Ploger Transportation LLC is a family-owned, asset-based truckload carrier headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, founded in 2006 by Jerry and Tanya Morrow. The company operates a fleet of 88 tractors and 200 53-foot dry van trailers, hauling dry goods, food-grade freight, custom furniture, plastics, and beverages across the lower 48 states. Ploger serves enterprise shippers in food and beverage (Campbell's Soup, Pepperidge Farm, Hormel), packaging (Berry Global, Amcor), furniture (Norwalk Furniture), and energy (BP Helios), with approximately 60% drop-and-hook freight supporting operational efficiency. Freight services are sold direct via a website-based quote system powered by Loadhandler, while CDL driver recruiting runs through Intelliapp and the Tenstreet Driver Pulse platform.

Ploger's operating model is built around a driver-first culture: top-quartile Ohio driver pay, late-model Volvo and Mack equipment, Netradyne safety cameras, and an in-terminal Healthbot for FMCSA medical compliance. The company has layered technology onto traditional trucking operations, most notably through the Optimal Dynamics Decision Automation Platform, which replaced manual dispatching and spreadsheet-based planning and is reported to have driven a 14.6% increase in weekly revenue per mile and a 21.4% increase in load volume. The company holds EPA SmartWay, TCA Elite Fleet, and Best Fleets to Drive For credentials, and maintains its own in-house maintenance capability for Mack trucks and trailers.

Revenue is generated primarily through transactional freight rates per load/mile. The company is privately held with no external funding rounds disclosed, and growth has been financed through operating cash flow and real estate purchases (Bellevue terminal in 2012, Old State Road in 2015, and the current Cleveland Road headquarters in 2018). The current go-to-market is sales-led direct, anchored by enterprise shipper relationships and a multi-channel marketing presence including the Mid-American Truck Show, podcast appearances, a company blog, and active Instagram engagement.

Name

Ploger Transportation

Legal name

Ploger Transportation LLC

Website

https://plogertrans.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ploger Transportation is a family-owned, asset-based truckload carrier based in Norwalk, Ohio, operating 88 tractors and 200 dry van trailers to haul food-grade freight, dry goods, furniture, and beverages across the lower 48 states for enterprise shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Truckload Freight Transportation

NAICS

General Freight Trucking (4841)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Equipment Transport (Flatbed, Step-Deck, Lowboy, Car Carrier) (TLAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Truckload freight transportation
• Dry van trucking
• Asset-based carrier
• Long-haul trucking
• Freight logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Truckload Transportation Services: Asset-based truckload carrier hauling dry goods, food-grade freight, custom furniture, plastics, and beverages. Revenue generated through freight transportation services across the lower 48 states. Approximately 60% drop and hook freight allows for efficient operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ploger Transportation is an asset-based truckload carrier operating a fleet of 88 tractors and 200 53-foot dry van trailers out of Norwalk, Ohio, providing safe, legal, and on-time freight transportation for dry goods, food-grade products, custom furniture, plastics, and beverages across the lower 48 states. Approximately 60 percent of loads are drop-and-hook, and the company differentiates through late-model Volvo and Mack equipment, AI-enabled dispatch and planning, and a driver-first culture.

Product overview

Ploger Transportation operates as an asset-based truckload carrier offering dry van freight transportation services across the lower 48 states. The core offering consists of a fleet of 88 tractors and 200 53' dry van trailers dedicated to hauling dry goods and custom furniture. This is complemented by digital tools including the Loadhandler quote request system for customer freight inquiries, the Driver Pulse platform (powered by Tenstreet) for driver onboarding and compliance management, and the Optimal Dynamics Decision Automation Platform for route and dispatch optimization. Additional support services include the Healthbot health monitoring system for driver wellness. The company was founded in 2006 by Jerry and Tanya Morrow and is headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Van Truckload Transportation Services Asset-based truckload carrier service hauling dry goods, food-grade freight, custom furniture, plastics, and beverages for shippers across the continental United States using a fleet of 88 tractors and 200 53-foot dry van trailers, with roughly 60 percent drop-and-hook freight to minimize detention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14.6% increase in weekly revenue per mile
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TenstreetcoreTechnology or Integration · 26 November 2024Tenstreet powers Driver Pulse, an app that enables drivers to easily complete onboarding, training, document sharing, and safety compliance. The platform helps Ploger streamline driver recruiting, qualification file management, and retention efforts. Millions of drivers have used Tenstreet's platform since 2006.
• Optimal DynamicscoreTechnology or IntegrationOptimal Dynamics' Decision Automation Platform replaced Ploger's manual dispatching and spreadsheet-based planning. The platform uses AI to optimize route planning and carrier decisions, resulting in a 14.6% increase in revenue per mile and 21.4% increase in load volume.
• Fit to PassminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFit to Pass provides the Ploger Healthbot, a health monitoring station for drivers to check blood pressure, weight, and BMI. Bob Perry from Fit to Pass travels to help truck drivers stay certified through healthier lifestyle guidance.
• Volvo TruckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPloger works closely with Volvo on truck specifications. Joel Morrow, an OTR driver at Ploger with over 3.5 million miles, has played an important role in developing specs for trucks ordered by Ploger from Volvo, including Dana rear ends and cab comfort features.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Werner Enterprises: Publicly traded asset-based truckload carrier with comparable OTR and dedicated dry-van service offering. Werner operates a similarly sized mid-tier fleet with technology investments in routing optimization and driver experience, mirroring Ploger's positioning.
• Heartland Express: Public asset-based truckload dry-van carrier of comparable mid-cap scale, focused on irregular route and dedicated dry van service. Heartland's 48-state coverage and small-fleet operating model align closely with Ploger's profile.
• Marten Transport: Public truckload carrier with substantial dry-van operations and a focus on driver experience and modern equipment. Comparable asset-based TL profile, similar size band, and parallel emphasis on technology-driven efficiency.
• CRST International: Major privately held asset-based truckload and logistics carrier offering dry-van and refrigerated services across the lower 48. Comparable mid-sized private operator with national reach and multi-vertical shipper mix.
• Schneider National: Large publicly traded truckload and intermodal carrier with broad dry-van, dedicated, and intermodal services. Comparable asset-based TL offering and shared focus on technology investments and driver experience.

Broad incumbents

• Knight-Swift Transportation: Largest U.S. truckload carrier and a relevant broader incumbent providing both asset-based dry-van service and brokerage across all 48 states. Establishes the competitive ceiling against which mid-tier carriers like Ploger benchmark.
• J.B. Hunt Transport: Diversified publicly traded carrier with truckload, dedicated, and intermodal services. Competes for the same enterprise shipper business as Ploger while operating at far greater scale across multiple service lines.
• ArcBest: Asset-based truckload (via MoLo) and less-than-truckload operator that competes for enterprise shipper accounts. Overlapping in dry-van capacity and asset-based freight services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DUsoXEkkmFg
• Xx.com/PlogerTrans
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlogerTransportation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ploger-transportation-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ploger Transportation