What Ascent Global Logistics does

Ascent Global Logistics is a privately-held US-based third-party logistics provider specializing in time-critical, technology-enabled freight services across multiple transportation modes. The company is headquartered in Belleville, Michigan, with additional customer service centers in Detroit and Aguascalientes, Mexico, and dedicated control towers serving the automotive sector across the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Ascent's operations are anchored by its proprietary PEAK™ technology platform — a freight marketplace that combines a bid board, TMS, freight audit and pay (40-point program), real-time KPI/reporting, and PEAK Connect API/EDI integrations (2.5 million EDI transactions per month, 40,000 connected TL carriers, 3.14-second average rate retrieval). The platform processes 430,000+ shipments annually across a network of 60,000+ carriers and 1,000+ agents operating from 47 offices, supported by 20+ strategic North American locations. Beyond the digital platform, Ascent owns and operates USA Jet, a cargo airline with 15 aircraft (cargo capacity 5,000–50,000 lbs), Ascent Specialized (heavy haul, project cargo, breakbulk), and Fast Boat (expedited ocean freight with 8–17 day Trans-Pacific/Trans-Atlantic transit).

Revenue is generated through six primary streams: truckload and LTL brokerage (transaction fees), managed transportation (multi-year contracts with consolidated weekly invoicing), freight audit and pay (professional services), global forwarding (ocean, air, customs brokerage), on-demand expedite services (ground, air, on-board courier), and air charter (USA Jet plus 100+ cargo carrier network). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; managed transportation contracts are multi-year with monthly or per-shipment billing. Go-to-market is multi-channel, combining enterprise direct sales with dedicated account managers, an agent partner network of 1,000+ agents, the PEAK self-service digital platform, and a 60,000+ carrier partner network. The company serves 4,000+ global customers including Fortune 500 enterprises and SMBs, with named accounts in automotive (Ford 8x World Excellence Award, GM 10x Supplier of the Year), agricultural/industrial (John Deere 10x Achieving Excellence), aerospace, and other verticals. Documented outcomes include $1.3B in customer savings over five years, 5.8% average LTL savings, 4–8% additional savings through freight audit, and 50 hours per week of time savings on freight audit and pay workflows. Ascent has been recognized as a Top 100 Global 3PL (Inbound Logistics), Top 40 3PL and Top 20 Freight Brokerage in North America (Transport Topics), and Top 50 Global/U.S./Domestic Transportation Management 3PL (Armstrong & Associates, 2024). The company is led by CEO Rob Walpole, appointed October 2025.

Name

Ascent Global Logistics

Legal name

Ascent Global Logistics

Website

https://ascentlogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ascent Global Logistics is a private US-based 3PL providing technology-enabled, time-critical freight services via its proprietary PEAK platform, owned USA Jet airline, and 60,000+ carrier network, serving 4,000+ enterprise and mid-market customers across automotive, aerospace, and industrial verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Air Courier Services (4513)

akta.pro primary industry

Heavy Machinery & Oversized Equipment (Cranes, Excavators, Presses) (TLACAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Energy & Power Projects (Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power Generation) (TLACAIAB), AOG (Aircraft-on-Ground) & Critical Spares Logistics (TLADANAL), Oversized / Out-of-Gauge & Heavy-Lift Air Freight (Aircraft Constraints, Special Handling) (TLACAAAG), Construction & Infrastructure Modules (Bridges, Rail, Roads, Tunneling) (TLACAIAD)

Keywords

• Freight brokerage services
• Managed transportation services
• Expedited logistics solutions
• Global freight forwarding
• Air charter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belleville

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. Brokerage Services: Truckload and LTL brokerage services connecting shippers with carrier network of 60,000+ carriers. Revenue generated through transaction fees and negotiated rates.
2. Managed Transportation: Full outsourced transportation management including carrier negotiations, rate management, and reporting. Customers receive consolidated weekly invoices and 5.8% average LTL savings.
3. Freight Audit and Pay: Outsourced freight audit and payment services processing carrier invoices with 40-point audit. Customers save average of 50 hours per week.
4. Global Forwarding: Ocean freight forwarding (FCL/LCL), air freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and trade compliance services for international shipments.
5. On-Demand Expedite Services: Time-critical ground expedite, air charter, air freight, on-board courier, and spot buy truckload services. Revenue from premium expedite pricing.
6. Air Charter Services: On-demand air cargo charter through company-owned USA Jet airline (15 aircraft) and network of 100+ cargo carriers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascent Global Logistics is a technology-enabled third-party logistics provider delivering time-critical supply chain solutions including truckload and LTL freight brokerage, managed transportation, freight audit and pay, global forwarding (ocean, air, customs), and on-demand expedite services. Operations are supported by the proprietary PEAK technology platform and a wholly-owned cargo airline (USA Jet) with 15 aircraft, supported by a 60,000+ carrier network.

Product overview

Ascent Global Logistics offers a comprehensive logistics portfolio centered on its proprietary PEAK™ freight marketplace technology, which processes hundreds of thousands of shipments annually and aggregates market rates from premier carriers across all transportation modes. The PEAK™ ecosystem includes multiple integrated modules: PEAK Domestic serves as the core TMS providing carrier connectivity, rate optimization, and freight auditing; Peak View and Peak Essentials deliver international visibility and order management; Peak Legacy, Peak Next, and Peak Order Management address legacy integration, mobile access, and order workflows; Peak On-Demand enables air charter bid board functionality; Peak Audit & Pay automates payment processing with 40-point verification; and Peak Connect provides API integration to ERP/WMS systems. Beyond the digital platform, Ascent operates USA Jet as an owned airline asset (15 aircraft, cargo capacity 5,000-50,000 lbs) for asset-backed air charter and expedite services, and offers Fast Boat expedited ocean freight (8-17 day Trans-Pacific/Trans-Atlantic transit) and Ascent Specialized for project cargo and heavy haul. The portfolio serves automotive, aerospace, industrial, and mobility sectors across North America, Europe, and globally through multimodal freight brokerage, forwarding, and on-demand solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PEAK Technology Platform Proprietary cloud-based freight marketplace and transportation management platform offering rate retrieval, BOL generation, tendering, track and trace, freight audit, and API/EDI integration for enterprise shippers.
• Truckload and LTL Brokerage Freight brokerage services connecting shippers with a network of 60,000+ carriers for full truckload (90K+ shipments) and less-than-truckload (175K+ shipments) moves.
• Managed Transportation Fully outsourced transportation management including carrier negotiations, rate management, and consolidated weekly invoicing, leveraging $2.5B+ transportation spend to deliver an average 5.8% LTL savings.
• Freight Audit and Pay Outsourced freight bill auditing and payment service using a 40-point audit program to consolidate carrier invoices, deliver 4-8% additional savings, and save customers an average of 50 hours per week.
• Global Forwarding International logistics services covering ocean freight forwarding (FCL/LCL), air freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and trade compliance for global shipments.
• On-Demand Expedite Services Time-critical ground expedite, air freight, on-board courier, and spot buy truckload services powered by a real-time bid board and spot buy technology across premium modes.
• Air Charter (USA Jet) On-demand air cargo charter services operated through company-owned USA Jet airline with 15 aircraft and a network of 100+ cargo carriers, offering cargo capacity from 5,000 to 50,000 lbs.
• Fast Boat Expedited Ocean Freight Expedited ocean freight service with 8-17 day transit times between China/Vietnam and US West Coast and between mainland Europe/UK and US East Coast, with 99% reliability.
• Ascent Specialized (Heavy Haul/Project Cargo) Specialized logistics services for project cargo, breakbulk, heavy haul, OOG shipping, oil and gas logistics, and renewable energy components requiring non-standard equipment or handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.3B customer savings over 5 years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TriumphPaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuick Pay Program via TriumphPay provides seamless carrier signup and payment process, ensuring payment within two business days once paperwork is received. Supports carrier payment processing.
• HighwaycoreTechnology or IntegrationCarrier signup platform integrated with Ascent's operations. Carriers can sign up through Highway to join Ascent's carrier network.
• SalesforceTechnology or IntegrationFreight Bill Inquiry portal uses Salesforce for customer service and inquiry management.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• C.H. Robinson Worldwide: Largest North American third-party logistics provider with truckload and LTL brokerage, managed transportation, and global forwarding. Directly comparable asset-light freight brokerage business model serving similar Fortune 500 enterprise customer base.
• RXO: Pure-play tech-enabled freight brokerage spun off from XPO in 2022. Direct competitor in TL/LTL brokerage with digital marketplace similar in concept to Ascent's PEAK platform.
• Landstar System: Asset-light freight transportation with agent-based network model closely paralleling Ascent's 1,000+ agent office structure. Provides similar expedited and specialized freight services.
• Hub Group: Intermodal and logistics provider with truck brokerage, dedicated, and final mile services. Competes in managed transportation and expedited freight similar to Ascent.
• Echo Global Logistics: Technology-enabled freight brokerage with managed transportation and truckload services. Direct competitor serving similar enterprise and mid-market customers with proprietary TMS platform.

Broad incumbents

• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Large multi-mode carrier with Integrated Capacity Solutions brokerage segment. Comparable in scale and TL/LTL brokerage scope but with significant asset-based intermodal and dedicated contract services.
• Schneider National: Asset-based truckload carrier with brokerage segment serving similar enterprise shippers. Comparable in intermodal and logistics services breadth though asset-heavy model differs from Ascent.
• Expeditors International: Large global air and ocean freight forwarder with customs brokerage. Comparable in international forwarding and customs services though Ascent has stronger domestic expedite franchise.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Global top-tier freight forwarder offering air, ocean, road, and contract logistics. Comparable in international forwarding scope but with much broader global scale than Ascent.
• DSV A/S: Global transport and logistics company with significant North American road and air freight forwarding presence following DB Schenker acquisition. Comparable in air charter forwarding and contract logistics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Ascent Global Logistics