What CFI does

CFI (Contract Freighters, Inc.) is a North American truckload carrier founded in 1951 in Joplin, Missouri, by owner-operator Ursul Lewellen. The company operates across three core service lanes: 53-foot dry-van Truckload transportation throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico; Temp-Control freight for perishable products using Thermo King refrigerated trailers in a -20°F to 77°F range; and Mexico cross-border and intra-Mexico logistics supported by 190+ C-TPAT certified carrier partners, an owned LTL network anchored in Guadalajara and five U.S.-Mexico border crossing points. CFI's owned fleet comprises approximately 2,400 company tractors (Kenworth T680 Next Gen fleet averaging two years old) and 8,000 trailers, supplemented by independent owner-operator capacity, with the company dispatching roughly 5,000 asset-based loads weekly at a reported 97% on-time delivery rate.

CFI makes money through transaction-fee (per-shipment) pricing on truckload, temp-control and Mexico moves, with rates determined per load based on lane, equipment, weight and service requirements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, combining enterprise and mid-market direct sales, dedicated customer login portals (customer.cfidrive.com, tools.cfidrive.com, employee.cfidrive.com) and inbound request-for-quote/credit-application forms via cfidrive.com. Customer concentration skews toward large enterprise shippers, with named customers including Home Depot (Truckload Carrier of the Year 2021), Tractor Supply (2023 Value Award), Michaels (multiple-time Carrier Partner of the Year 2007-2017), Lowe's (Platinum Carrier Award 2010/2011/2013) and Sonoco. Driver-facing technology includes forward-facing cameras, radar, GPS and 1,500-watt inverters, while shipper-facing digital tooling includes CFI Track for real-time shipment visibility.

Ownership history: CFI operated as a division of TFI International Inc. (TSX: TFII) until September 2022, when TFI International divested CFI's Truckload, Temp-Control and Mexican Logistics businesses to Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLD). Heartland Express announced the integration of CFI's U.S. operations on December 9, 2025, and completed the consolidation by Q1 2026 while fully retiring Smith Transport acquisition-related debt, leaving CFI operating primarily as a service brand within the Heartland Express platform. Post-integration, CFI's independent operational trajectory has concluded.

Name

CFI

Legal name

Contract Freighters, Inc.

Website

https://cfidrive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CFI (Contract Freighters, Inc.) is a North American truckload carrier founded in 1951, providing 53-foot dry-van Truckload, Temp-Control and U.S.-Mexico cross-border freight services to enterprise and mid-market shippers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The company was acquired by Heartland Express in 2022 and consolidated into Heartland Express by Q1 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Joplin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Truckload Transportation Services: Dry-van truckload transportation services across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico using 53-foot trailers. Revenue is generated on a per-shipment basis based on mileage, weight, and service requirements. CFI domestic operations were consolidated into Heartland Express as of Q1 2026.
2. Temp-Control Services: Temperature-controlled transportation for perishable products using Thermo King refrigerated trailers with temperature range from -20°F to 77°F, targeting food, pharmaceutical, and floral industries.
3. Mexico Cross-Border and Intra-Mexico Logistics: Cross-border U.S.-Mexico freight and intra-Mexico transportation including LTL services, hot shot, stepdeck, flatbed, and dedicated logistics operations using certified C-TPAT carrier partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CFI is a North American full-truckload carrier providing over-the-road freight transportation across three core service lanes: (1) Truckload dry-van services using 53-foot trailers, (2) Temp-Control temperature-controlled transportation for perishable goods (range -20°F to 77°F), and (3) Mexico cross-border and intra-Mexico logistics leveraging a proprietary LTL network and 190+ C-TPAT certified carrier partners. Operations span the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with dedicated, solo, and team trucking options plus real-time shipment visibility through the CFI Track platform.

Product overview

CFI (Contract Freighters, Inc.) is a North American truckload carrier operating three core service lanes: Truckload (53-foot dry-van), Temp-Control (temperature-controlled), and Mexico (cross-border and intra-Mexico). The company, founded in 1951 and headquartered in Joplin, Missouri, was acquired by Heartland Express in September 2022 and subsequently integrated into Heartland Express operations by December 2025. CFI provides solo, team, and dedicated trucking operations with a fleet of company tractors and trailers plus independent contractor support. Customer-facing digital tools include CFI Track for shipment tracking and online customer portals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Truckload (Dry-Van) Transportation Over-the-road 53-foot dry-van full-truckload transportation across North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico), offering solo, team, and dedicated trucking operations with a 97% on-time delivery rate for enterprise and mid-market shippers.
• Temp-Control (Temperature-Controlled) Transportation Temperature-controlled freight transportation for perishable products using Thermo King refrigerated trailers with a temperature range of -20°F to 77°F, 100% pneumatic ride trailers, Smart Reefer 4 control systems, and real-time TracKing monitoring for the food, pharmaceutical, and floral industries.
• Mexico Cross-Border and Intra-Mexico Logistics Cross-border U.S.-Mexico freight and intra-Mexico transportation including full truckload, LTL services, hot shot, stepdeck, flatbed, and dedicated logistics using a proprietary Mexico LTL network, 190+ C-TPAT certified carrier partners, and five border crossing points with customs brokerage.
• CFI Track Shipment Tracking Platform Real-time online shipment tracking and visibility portal providing customers with live shipment status, trailer information, load details, destination data, document access, and profile management via a dedicated dashboard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% on-time delivery rate for dry-van truckload services
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Heartland Express, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2022Heartland Express acquired CFI's Truckload, Temp-Control, and Mexican Logistics businesses from TFI International in September 2022. CFI's U.S. domestic operations were consolidated into Heartland Express by December 2025, with Smith Transport acquisition-related debt fully retired. The transaction combined two major truckload carriers under unified ownership.
• Crowder CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFI partners with Crowder College on apprenticeship programs and workforce development, celebrating an ongoing successful partnership each year with recruitment and training opportunities for students.
• C-TPAT Certified Carrier Partners (190+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCFI maintains partnerships with over 190 C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) certified carriers to provide cross-border Mexico freight capacity and expanded coverage for U.S.-Mexico logistics services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heartland Express: Heartland Express (NASDAQ: HTLD) is the direct acquirer of CFI and a long-haul, irregular-route truckload carrier of similar size and asset profile. CFI has been fully consolidated into Heartland's operations, making it the most directly comparable peer in fleet, lane mix, and customer base.
• Werner Enterprises: Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) is a publicly traded truckload carrier operating dedicated, one-way, and logistics services across North America with a comparable tractor count and similar enterprise customer mix. Closely overlaps CFI on dry-van truckload and dedicated capacity.
• Marten Transport: Marten Transport (NASDAQ: MRTN) is a temperature-controlled and dry-van truckload carrier of similar size to CFI's Temp-Control division. Directly comparable on refrigerated capacity, customer mix, and dedicated service offerings in the perishable and retail lanes.
• U.S. Xpress Enterprises: U.S. Xpress (acquired by Knight-Swift in 2023) was a publicly traded truckload carrier with overlapping North American dry-van, dedicated, and Mexico cross-border services — directly comparable to CFI's core service lanes prior to acquisition.
• Covenant Logistics Group: Covenant Logistics (NASDAQ: CVLG) operates dedicated, expedited, and refrigerated truckload services across North America at a comparable scale to CFI. Its mix of dedicated, temperature-controlled, and expedited offerings aligns closely with CFI's three-lane service portfolio.
• KLLM Transport Services: KLLM is a privately held asset-based refrigerated truckload carrier with a similar temperature-controlled service profile to CFI's Temp-Control division, comparable fleet size, and similar focus on food and pharmaceutical customers.
• CRST International: CRST International is a privately held truckload carrier with dedicated, expedited, and Mexico cross-border operations. Directly comparable to CFI's dedicated trucking, dry-van, and cross-border service mix at a similar asset and revenue scale.

Broad incumbents

• Knight-Swift Transportation: Knight-Swift (NYSE: KNX) is the largest truckload carrier in North America, operating across truckload, LTL, and logistics. Its size and multi-segment footprint make it a broad incumbent benchmark for CFI's dry-van, dedicated, and temperature-controlled services.
• Schneider National: Schneider National (NYSE: SNDR) is a diversified multimodal carrier with substantial truckload, intermodal, and logistics operations. Comparable to CFI in core truckload capabilities while operating a much broader service portfolio including dedicated and cross-border lanes.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: J.B. Hunt (NASDAQ: JBHT) is a large multimodal carrier with dedicated contract services, intermodal, and truckload operations. Comparable to CFI's dedicated truckload and Mexico cross-border offerings as a benchmark enterprise-scale competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wedrivecfi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/cfidrive
• Facebookfacebook.com/CFIdrive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfi-
• Instagraminstagram.com/wedrivecfi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CFI