What Sheer Logistics does

Sheer Logistics is a privately held fourth-party logistics (4PL) provider headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, founded in 2009. The company is purpose-built for mid-market shippers—companies moving $5 million to $100 million in freight annually—who have historically been underserved by enterprise-focused 3PL/4PL providers. Sheer operates from offices in St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta (Alpharetta), Laredo, and Guadalajara, Mexico, serving verticals that include food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, automotive, construction, retail, mining, and furniture. The customer base is enterprise-grade in sophistication but mid-market in size, with named relationships spanning global leaders in plastics, engineered materials, wines and spirits, soft drinks, pet food, and railcar parts manufacturing.

The platform is anchored by two technology assets. Sheer TMS is a cloud-based transportation management system built on the MercuryGate platform, providing end-to-end supply chain visibility with real-time track and trace, carrier connectivity via EDI, API, and text, proof of delivery, dock scheduling, vendor portal, 24/7 temperature monitoring, and analytics. SheerExchange is a proprietary integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) that connects ERP, WMS, carrier systems, real-time transportation visibility platforms (project44, Trucker Tools, MacroPoint), fuel programs, and rating engines through 1,000+ pre-built integrations, enabling Sheer to deliver TMS implementations in roughly 8 weeks versus an industry standard of 6–18 months. Adjacent capabilities include freight audit and payment, predictive analytics on Snowflake, Tableau-based transportation analytics, and Scope 3 carbon emissions tracking aligned with the GLEC framework.

Sheer's business model combines five revenue streams: managed transportation services (4PL) on a managed-services basis, multi-modal freight brokerage (dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, LTL, intermodal) on a transaction-fee basis, TMS software on a monthly subscription, logistics consulting as professional services, and freight audit and payment as managed services. The go-to-market is sales-led, targeting mid-market shippers via direct field sales with dedicated account teams, a consulting-led entry motion, content marketing, and analyst recognition (Honorable Mention in Gartner's inaugural 2025 Magic Quadrant for 4PL). The company maintains a 100,000+ carrier network, manages $100 million+ in annual freight under management, and has reported double-digit year-over-year growth for ten consecutive years. In October 2022 Sheer received a debt and growth investment from Woodlawn Partners (lead) and Monroe Capital LLC, and in April 2024 it acquired CargoBarn to extend capability surface.

Name

Sheer Logistics

Legal name

Sheer Logistics

Website

https://sheerlogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sheer Logistics is a private 4PL provider purpose-built for mid-market shippers ($5M–$100M freight spend), offering managed transportation, a cloud-based TMS on MercuryGate, and proprietary SheerExchange iPaaS middleware connecting 1,000+ supply chain systems across North America and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Managed Transportation & Logistics Services (4PL)

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), General Warehousing and Storage (49311)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Order Management, Pick/Pack & SLA Execution (Cartonization/Wave Picking) (TLAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

E-commerce & Fulfillment Warehousing (Dedicated/Shared) (TLAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Managed transportation services
• Freight brokerage solutions
• Transportation management system
• Logistics consulting services
• Freight audit payment

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesterfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Transportation Services (4PL): Comprehensive outsourced transportation management. Act as extension of customer team, managing carrier relationships, business intelligence, and dedicated resources. Flexible engagement models from 100% managed to technology-only.
2. Freight Brokerage: Multi-modal freight brokerage covering dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, LTL, and intermodal. Access to 100,000+ carrier network for capacity solutions.
3. TMS Software/SaaS: Monthly subscription-based TMS access. Clients pay per-month fee rather than six-figure implementation costs. Includes technology, implementation support, and ongoing technical support.
4. Logistics Consulting: Strategic consulting engagements for network assessment, TMS selection/implementation, carrier RFP management, and supply chain optimization. Typically transitions into ongoing Managed Transportation partnership.
5. Freight Audit & Payment Services: Outsourced freight invoice processing and payment. Revenue from identifying billing errors and overcharges on behalf of clients, with clients saving 3-4% on average.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sheer Logistics is a modern 4PL provider that delivers Managed Transportation Services, a cloud-based Transportation Management System (Sheer TMS), proprietary integration middleware (SheerExchange), multi-modal freight brokerage, logistics consulting, freight audit and payment, and cross-border logistics for mid-market shippers. Its core service is acting as an outsourced transportation operations partner, enhanced by proprietary technology that integrates ERP, WMS, carrier EDI/API, and visibility platforms in as little as 8 weeks.

Product overview

Sheer Logistics operates as a modern 4PL (Fourth-Party Logistics) provider purpose-built to serve mid-market shippers. The company offers a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on two core products: Sheer TMS (cloud-based transportation management system) and SheerExchange (proprietary integration Platform as a Service/iPaaS). These are supplemented by Managed Transportation Services as the primary operational service layer, plus modular add-on capabilities including Freight Brokerage Services (covering dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, LTL, and intermodal modes), Logistics Consulting Services, Network Design, Carrier Management, Claims Management, Freight Audit and Payment, Cross-Border Logistics, Transportation Analytics, Predictive Analytics, SCOPE 3 Emissions Tracking, and TMS Implementation Services. The architecture enables clients to select managed services at varying levels (10%-90% managed) or just technology-only deployment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sheer TMS: Transportation Management System - a cloud-based TMS platform for efficient, cost-effective, and streamlined transportation management.
• SheerExchange

Products and services

• Managed Transportation Services Comprehensive outsourced 4PL solution that acts as an extension of the client's team, managing carrier relationships, business intelligence, and dedicated transportation resources while the client focuses on its core business. Flexible engagement models range from fully managed to technology-only deployment.
• Sheer TMS Cloud-based transportation management system providing end-to-end supply chain visibility with real-time tracking, exception management, on-demand reporting, carrier connectivity via EDI, APIs, and text, proof of delivery, dock scheduler, vendor portal, 24/7 temperature monitoring, analytics, and custom alerts/KPIs. Offered on a monthly subscription basis.
• SheerExchange Proprietary integration Platform as a Service that acts as a universal translator connecting ERP suites, WMS, real-time transportation visibility platforms, fuel programs, ratings engines, and other point solutions. Includes 1,000+ pre-built integrations and enables TMS implementation in as little as 8 weeks.
• Freight Brokerage Services Multi-modal freight brokerage covering dry van, temperature-controlled (refrigerated), flatbed, less-than-truckload (LTL), and intermodal shipping, leveraging a 100,000+ carrier network to match shippers with capacity at competitive rates.
• Logistics Consulting Services Strategic consulting for mid-market shippers including network assessment, TMS selection and implementation support, carrier RFP management, supply chain strategy, and execution support. Targets companies moving $5M–$100M in freight annually with an average 15% transportation spend reduction and an 8-week implementation timeline.
• Freight Audit and Payment Automated freight invoice processing, validation, and payment service that identifies billing errors, duplicate charges, and overcharges. Uses a rating engine to verify billed amounts against contracted rates, with customizable tolerance thresholds, delivering an average of 3–4% savings on freight spend for clients.
• Cross-Border Logistics International shipping services to and from Mexico and Canada, including complete cross-border solutions, customs clearance, secure escort services, access to a 35,000 sq. ft. warehouse for cross-docking and distribution, and multi-modal transport options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% average reduction in transportation spend within year 1 for clients moving $5M-$100M in freight
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MercuryGatecoreTechnology or IntegrationSheer TMS built on MercuryGate transportation management system platform. Sheer provides TMS services to clients via MercuryGate platform enhanced by proprietary SheerExchange middleware.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Worldwide Express: Worldwide Express is a non-asset-based 3PL and freight broker with a strong mid-market and SMB focus across LTL, truckload, and managed transportation — directly comparable to Sheer's mid-market 4PL positioning. Similar go-to-market through dedicated account teams and technology-enabled service.
• Coyote Logistics: Coyote is a large US 3PL and freight brokerage with a strong mid-market shipper base, multi-modal capacity, and a technology-led TMS-enabled platform — directly comparable to Sheer's brokerage and managed transportation stack. Coyote was acquired by UPS and now operates as part of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, giving it deeper resources but a similar go-to-market in mid-market shippers.
• Uber Freight Managed Transportation (formerly Transplace): Uber Freight's managed transportation business (built on Transplace) is a leading 4PL/managed transportation provider with TMS technology and optimization capabilities, directly competing with Sheer for shippers seeking outsourced transportation management. Comparable mid-market and enterprise customer base with a heavier technology and analytics footprint.
• BlueGrace Logistics: BlueGrace is a non-asset 3PL and freight brokerage focused on small and mid-market shippers, offering multi-modal capacity, managed transportation, and a proprietary TMS — directly comparable to Sheer's service portfolio. Similar target customer and technology-led sales motion.
• NFI Industries: NFI is a family-owned 3PL/4PL with dedicated transportation, brokerage, warehousing, and managed transportation services, serving enterprise and mid-market shippers across multiple verticals. Directly comparable on managed transportation, multi-modal brokerage, and integrated technology offerings.
• AIT Worldwide Logistics: AIT is a global 3PL/4PL with managed transportation, freight forwarding, and brokerage, serving mid-market and enterprise customers across food, manufacturing, and chemicals verticals that overlap heavily with Sheer's verticals. Comparable on multi-modal capacity and managed services delivery.

Broad incumbents

• C.H. Robinson: C.H. Robinson is one of the largest US 3PLs and freight brokers with Navisphere TMS, managed services, and a global carrier network. Overlaps with Sheer across managed transportation and brokerage but operates at much greater scale and serves a more enterprise-skewed customer base.
• RXO: RXO is a large US-focused freight brokerage and last-mile provider, spun out from XPO, with a technology-enabled brokerage platform. A broad incumbent competing with Sheer in freight brokerage capacity, though it does not focus on mid-market 4PL managed services the way Sheer does.
• Descartes Systems Group: Descartes is a large logistics technology vendor offering TMS, routing, and visibility solutions that overlap with Sheer's TMS and analytics capabilities. Broader incumbent serving enterprise shippers, with a software-led (not services-led) business model that contrasts with Sheer's managed transportation mix.

Others

• MercuryGate: MercuryGate is the underlying TMS platform on which Sheer TMS is built, and also sells its TMS directly to shippers and 3PLs. Included as a peer because it is the platform dependency for Sheer's product and a direct TMS competitor in many of the same shipper deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SheerLogistics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sheertrans-solutions
• Xx.com/Sheer_Logistics

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sheer Logistics