Steam Logistics

What Steam Logistics does

Steam Logistics, LLC is a privately-held, asset-light third-party logistics provider founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company operates across three core service pillars — international freight forwarding (ocean and air via Steam Ocean and Steam Air), drayage at every U.S. port and rail terminal, and domestic transportation (truckload, LTL, and specialized freight) — supplemented by customs brokerage, warehousing through vetted partners, and small parcel auditing. Steam serves more than 5,000 customers ranging from Fortune 500 enterprises to SMB shippers across verticals including wholesale food distribution, automotive parts, home and garden products, food and beverage, retail manufacturing, and trucking, with active cross-border operations into Mexico and Canada.

The company's differentiator is SteamVision, a proprietary shipper-facing platform providing real-time freight tracking, purchase order visibility, predictive container tracking, landed-cost spend analytics, carrier performance benchmarking, volume-by-lane analytics, and SKU-level tracking, delivered through a web portal and mobile app. Steam also integrates third-party carrier-facing tools including Trucker Tools (freight matching), Relay (billing and payment), and Highway (compliance monitoring). SteamVision is positioned as the operational backbone supporting a sales-led go-to-market model that relies on dedicated account management, online quote-request forms, and direct enterprise engagement rather than channel partners or marketplaces.

Steam operates 12 U.S. offices (Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Detroit, Laredo, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and others) and earns revenue through transaction-based fees and margins on brokered freight, with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing negotiated per shipment. The company is recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for nine consecutive years (2017-2025) and held Great Place to Work certification for five consecutive years through 2023. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, or PE/VC investments are disclosed in the source data, and the ownership structure appears founder/management controlled.

Name

Steam Logistics

Legal name

Steam Logistics, LLC

Website

https://steamlogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Steam Logistics is a privately-held, asset-light U.S. 3PL offering international freight forwarding, drayage, and domestic transportation through its proprietary SteamVision platform, serving more than 5,000 Fortune 500 and SMB shippers across 12 U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAIAEAC

Freight Brokerage (Truckload/LTL/Intermodal)

Transportation & Logistics/Third-Party & Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL/4PL) / Contract Logistics/Transportation Management & Managed Freight (Dedicated Transport, Brokerage-Managed)

SECONDARYTLAIAAAE

Transportation Management & Managed Freight (Dedicated Transport, Brokerage-Managed)

Transportation & Logistics/Third-Party & Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL/4PL) / Contract Logistics/Integrated 3PL Contract Logistics (Multi-Service)

Keywords

• Third-party logistics
• Freight brokerage
• International freight forwarding
• Drayage services
• Supply chain visibility

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Brokerage / Transportation Services: Steam Logistics acts as a third-party logistics provider (3PL), brokering freight transportation services. The company arranges domestic truckload, LTL, international ocean and air freight, and drayage services. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and margins on transportation rates charged to shippers.
2. Drayage Services: Port and rail terminal drayage services providing capacity at every U.S. port and rail terminal. Includes consolidations, transloads, and end-to-end visibility.
3. Customs Brokerage: Customs clearance services for international shipments entering or leaving the U.S. market.
4. Freight Forwarding: International freight forwarding services including ocean and air freight, border crossing, and freight consolidation.
5. Small Parcel Auditing: Auditing services for small parcel shipping data, supporting contract negotiations and recovering overcharges.
6. Warehousing Services: Warehouse services through vetted warehouse partners, offering storage, transloading, and distribution solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steam Logistics operates as an integrated third-party logistics (3PL) provider brokering domestic truckload, LTL, international ocean and air freight, and drayage services to shippers across North America. The company complements these transportation services with customs brokerage, warehousing through vetted partners, small parcel auditing, and its proprietary SteamVision technology platform that delivers real-time tracking, spend analytics, carrier performance data, and SKU-level visibility across the entire shipment lifecycle.

Product overview

Steam Logistics operates as a fully integrated third-party logistics provider (3PL) built around a proprietary platform and three core service pillars. Its flagship technology product is SteamVision — a shipper-facing visibility and analytics platform providing real-time tracking, spend reporting, KPI dashboards, and landed cost analysis. The three primary service lines are International Freight Forwarding (ocean, air, customs, border crossing), Drayage Services (all U.S. ports and rail terminals, with transloading and warehousing), and Domestic Transportation (truckload, LTL, and specialized). Value-add services including warehousing, small parcel auditing, and dedicated account management complement the core portfolio. All services are delivered under a single partner model providing end-to-end accountability across every mode of transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SteamVision: Digital tracking platform providing real-time freight location, performance trends, spend analysis, and carrier performance data.
• Trucker Tools
• Relay
• Highway

Products and services

• SteamVision Steam Logistics' proprietary shipper-facing technology platform providing real-time freight location and status tracking, purchase order and shipment status visibility, spend and landed-cost analytics, carrier performance benchmarking, volume analytics by lane, SKU-level item tracking from origin to destination, and a mobile application for on-the-go shipment management. Built for shippers using Steam's domestic, international, and drayage services.
• International Freight Forwarding International freight forwarding service covering ocean freight, air freight, customs clearance, border crossing, and freight consolidation, delivered with an elevated service experience tailored to importers and exporters moving goods into and out of the U.S. market.
• Drayage Services Port and rail terminal drayage service providing capacity at every U.S. port and rail terminal, including consolidations, transloads, and end-to-end shipment visibility for shippers moving cargo through ports and intermodal facilities.
• Domestic Transportation Domestic truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), and specialized freight services for shippers moving goods within North America, with complete accountability to customer commitments and integrated supply chain visibility.
• Customs Brokerage Customs clearance and related brokerage services for international shipments entering or leaving the U.S. market, integrated within Steam's international freight forwarding portfolio.
• Warehousing Storage, transloading, and distribution services delivered through a network of vetted warehouse partners, supporting customers' operational needs and long-term logistics goals alongside transportation services.
• Small Parcel Auditing Professional auditing of small parcel shipping data, supporting contract negotiations with parcel carriers and recovering overcharges owed to shippers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 customers served globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• C.H. Robinson Worldwide: Largest North American freight broker with full multi-modal services (TL, LTL, ocean, air, customs, drayage) and proprietary Navisphere platform — directly comparable to Steam's integrated 3PL model, but at vastly greater scale and global reach.
• Landstar System: Asset-light freight broker and logistics provider with a BCO (business capacity owner) agent network; competes with Steam in truckload brokerage and specialized freight for SMB and mid-market shippers.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Large diversified carrier and logistics provider whose Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) brokerage and intermodal units directly compete with Steam's domestic truckload and drayage offerings.
• Schneider National: Asset-based carrier with growing logistics brokerage and intermodal operations; comparable to Steam on truckload brokerage, intermodal, and cross-border services for enterprise shippers.
• ArcBest: Asset-based LTL carrier (ABF Freight) with an asset-light logistics segment offering truckload brokerage and managed transportation — overlaps Steam's LTL and TL brokerage services for enterprise customers.

Direct peers

• RXO (formerly XPO Logistics): Pure-play North American freight brokerage spun out of XPO, offering truckload, LTL, managed transportation, and last-mile with proprietary technology — direct competitor to Steam's brokerage and managed transportation services.
• Coyote Logistics: UPS-owned freight broker providing truckload, LTL, intermodal, and cross-border services across North America; directly competes with Steam across the same modes and shipper segments.
• Hub Group: Asset-light intermodal and logistics provider offering truckload, LTL, intermodal, and customs services; directly comparable to Steam on intermodal/drayage and integrated multi-modal execution.
• Echo Global Logistics: Technology-enabled North American 3PL providing TL, LTL, intermodal, drayage, and managed transportation with proprietary EchoShip TMS — overlaps Steam across almost every service line and customer segment.
• Worldwide Express: Unyson-backed 3PL providing LTL, truckload, parcel, and logistics services to mid-market shippers; closely comparable to Steam's SMB and mid-market positioning with multi-modal offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SteamLogistics
• Facebookfacebook.com/steamlogistics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steam-logistics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Steam Logistics