Knight-Swift Transporation

What Knight-Swift Transporation does

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KNX) is the largest full truckload carrier in North America, formed from the 2017 merger of Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The company operates approximately 19,000 tractors and 58,000 trailers with 24,000 employees, providing full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), logistics, and intermodal freight services throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Its LTL segment was built through the acquisitions of AAA Cooper Transportation, Midwest Motor Express, and Dependable Highway Express — consolidated under the unified ACT brand to form a network of 173 locations across 35 states covering approximately 70% of the U.S. population. Other acquired entities include U.S. Xpress (truckload) and UTXL (third-party logistics).

Knight-Swift runs a transaction-based, asset-heavy revenue model: it charges per-load trucking rates through long-term enterprise contracts, multi-year bid cycles, and brokerage transactions, and is presently targeting high single- to low double-digit contract rate increases on its truckload book. The company has invested in proprietary AI-driven fleet operations, deploying over 100 AI projects covering predictive maintenance (preventing up to 15 breakdowns per month with failures flagged 2–3 weeks in advance) and AI-chatbot-based driver applicant screening (processing 1,500 weekly leads). The customer base spans industrial, manufacturing, retail, and cross-border shippers, served through direct enterprise field sales rather than digital channels.

The company is currently led by CEO Adam Miller (in role since 2024), with David Vander Ploeg succeeding co-founder Kevin P. Knight as Chairman in June 2026. In May 2026, Knight-Swift raised $1.3 billion of 1.00% convertible senior notes due 2031 to refinance term loans and revolver capacity, and earlier in the year sold its FleetAero assets to TRANSTEX as part of a long-term fleet-efficiency partnership. The company has paid a quarterly dividend for 23 consecutive years, most recently at $0.20 per share.

Name

Knight-Swift Transporation

Legal name

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc.

Website

https://knight-swift.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (NYSE: KNX) is North America's largest full truckload carrier, operating approximately 19,000 tractors and 58,000 trailers to provide truckload, LTL, logistics, and intermodal services to industrial, manufacturing, and cross-border shippers across the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Truckload Freight Transportation

NAICS

General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (484121), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interregional/Long-Haul LTL Network Carriers (TLADAEAC)

Keywords

• Truckload freight services
• Less-than-truckload shipping
• Intermodal transportation services
• Logistics brokerage services
• Cross-border freight shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Truckload Services: Full truckload transportation services operating with approximately 19,000 tractors and 58,000 trailers across North America. Primary revenue driver with historical segment revenue of approximately $1.07 billion quarterly.
2. Less-Than-Truckload (LTL): LTL services through AAA Cooper division following consolidation of acquired LTL carriers (AAA Cooper Transportation, Midwest Motor Express, Dependable Highway Express). Network expanded to 173 locations across 35 states with approximately 70% U.S. population coverage.
3. Logistics Services: Third-party logistics and brokerage services including the operations of acquired UTXL company, providing customer base expansion across US, Canada, and Mexico.
4. Intermodal Services: Intermodal transportation services as part of diversified logistics platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Knight-Swift operates North America's largest full truckload carrier fleet with approximately 19,000 tractors, 58,000 trailers, and 24,000 employees, providing full truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), third-party logistics, and intermodal freight transportation services. The company serves customers across a broad range of industries throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with cross-border capabilities and an LTL network spanning 173+ terminals covering approximately 70% of the U.S. population.

Product overview

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. operates as a diversified freight transportation company providing truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), logistics, and intermodal services throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada. The company operates one of North America's largest truckload fleets with approximately 19,000 tractors, 58,000 trailers, and 24,000 employees. Its LTL services have been built through strategic acquisitions (AAA Cooper Transportation, Midwest Motor Express, Dependable Highway Express, U.S. Xpress) and consolidated under the unified ACT brand platform covering 173+ locations in 35 states. The company has deployed over 100 AI projects across fleet maintenance and driver operations for predictive maintenance and automated screening.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Truckload Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 9% reduction in CO2 emissions per mile since 2019
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TRANSTEXcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026Knight-Swift sold its FleetAero assets to TRANSTEX and entered into a long-term partnership focused on fleet efficiency and environmental benefits. The partnership aims to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions in heavy-duty trucking with TRANSTEX's aerodynamic technology. The agreement includes technology validation, fleet performance advancement, and innovation aligned with fuel-efficiency and emissions-reduction objectives. TRANSTEX's expanded aerodynamic technology platform integrates FleetAero's capabilities with existing trailer aerodynamics, electric Auxiliary Power Units, and advanced thermoplastic composites.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Schneider National: Major publicly traded truckload and intermodal carrier with overlapping TL, intermodal, and logistics offerings. Comparable North American enterprise customer base and similar exposure to freight cycle dynamics.
• Werner Enterprises: Public truckload carrier with dedicated, logistics (Werner Logistics), and recently expanded LTL offerings. Closely comparable business model and customer segments as Knight-Swift's TL business.
• RXO Inc. Asset-light brokerage spin-off from XPO competing with Knight-Swift's logistics/brokerage segment (including UTXL) for third-party freight capacity.
• Saia Inc. LTL carrier with rapid network expansion across the US; competes for the same regional and interregional LTL shipper base that Knight-Swift's ACT platform targets.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Direct competitor across truckload, LTL (via acquired BNSF Logistics), intermodal, and dedicated contract services. Similar diversified multi-modal strategy and enterprise customer base makes J.B. Hunt the most directly comparable peer.
• Old Dominion Freight Line: Largest pure-play LTL carrier in the US; the gold-standard benchmark against which Knight-Swift's ACT LTL platform will be measured as it scales toward national coverage.
• XPO Inc. Pure-play LTL carrier (post-RXO spin-off) competing directly with the ACT LTL platform in the national LTL market with comparable terminal-density strategy.
• ArcBest Corporation: Multi-modal provider combining LTL (ABF Freight) with asset-light logistics; comparable to Knight-Swift's diversified TL/LTL/logistics platform structure.
• Hub Group: Intermodal and logistics provider overlapping with Knight-Swift's intermodal and logistics segments; similar enterprise shipper base and North American footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Express: Established public truckload carrier competing in irregular route and dry van TL; a broader incumbent in the same TL market Knight-Swift dominates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A6 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Knight-Swift Transporation