Zipline Logistics

What Zipline Logistics does

Zipline Logistics is a privately held, non-asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider founded in 2006 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with a second office in Austin, Texas following its March 2024 acquisition of Summit Eleven. The company positions itself as the only North American 3PL built from the ground up exclusively for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) brand retail logistics, serving manufacturers shipping into major big-box retailers such as Target, Costco, Walmart, and grocery distributors including UNFI and KeHe. Its core product is the proprietary KANOPI shipper intelligence platform, paired with The Summit freight visibility tool and a Transportation KPI Dashboard containing 30+ automated performance metrics (Cost Per Mile, On-Time Percentage, Total Spend, etc.); together these form a platform layer over a national network of 50,000+ pre-qualified carriers spanning truckload, LTL, intermodal, temperature-controlled, expedited, and port drayage services.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction fees and service markups on brokered freight movements (3PL brokerage model), with secondary revenue from managed transportation relationships and consulting around retail compliance, mode optimization, and carrier network management. Pricing is quote-based and transactional: no contracts are required to begin, the technology suite is provided at no separate licensing cost, and solution consultants respond to inbound quote requests within 24-48 hours. Go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven, combining direct inside sales, a consultative sales motion targeting CPG supply chain leaders, plus thought-leadership assets (blogs, podcasts, white papers, an annual Retail Buyer Report surveying 900+ buyers, and case studies).

The customer base is concentrated in food and beverage CPG brands (Vita Coco, Fever-Tree, Hoist Water, a global coconut water/oil brand) with proven operational performance: a reported 95% on-time in-full average, a 96% client retention rate, 99% demurrage-free containers since 2018 across 8,500+ port moves, and self-reported customer satisfaction at 5x the industry average. Distribution channels consist of direct sales and inside sales for shipper acquisition plus a formal carrier qualification program to onboard carriers into the 50,000+ network. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or ownership transactions; reported headcount is 51-100 employees.

Name

Zipline Logistics

Legal name

Zipline Logistics

Website

https://ziplinelogistics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zipline Logistics is a private, non-asset third-party logistics provider serving CPG brands exclusively with retail logistics services. Founded in 2006 and based in Columbus, Ohio, it operates a proprietary KANOPI shipper intelligence platform and a 50,000+ carrier network across multiple transport modes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Freight Brokerage (Truckload/LTL/Intermodal) (TLAIAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Third-party logistics services
• Managed transportation services
• Freight brokerage services
• CPG retail logistics
• Shipper intelligence platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Services: Zipline Logistics operates as a non-asset-based third-party logistics provider, brokering freight transportation services for CPG brands. Revenue is generated through transaction fees and service markups on freight movements across truckload, LTL, intermodal, temperature-controlled, expedited, and port services.
2. Managed Transportation Services: Comprehensive managed transportation services including carrier network management, retail compliance coordination, mode optimization, and logistics consulting. Revenue derived from ongoing service relationships with CPG brands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Zipline Logistics is a non-asset-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider that brokers freight transportation and delivers managed transportation services exclusively for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands shipping into big-box and grocery retail. Services span truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), intermodal, temperature-controlled, expedited, and port/drayage modes, executed through a network of 50,000+ pre-qualified carriers. Zipline bundles a proprietary KANOPI shipper intelligence platform (with The Summit freight visibility tool) at no additional cost to provide real-time tracking, transportation KPIs, and spend analytics for retail compliance and on-time-in-full delivery.

Product overview

Zipline Logistics is a third-party logistics (3PL) provider exclusively serving the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) sector. Its core technology offering is the proprietary KANOPI shipper intelligence platform, built in-house and updated continuously. KANOPI encompasses two named sub-products: The Summit (freight visibility and shipment tracking tool) and the Transportation KPI Dashboard (30+ KPI tiles for analytics and reporting). Around KANOPI, Zipline offers managed transportation services spanning multiple shipping modes: LTL Freight, Truckload, Intermodal, Temperature Controlled Shipping, Expedited Shipping, and Port Services (drayage). These services are supported by a national network of 50,000+ pre-qualified carriers. In March 2024, Zipline expanded its multimodal capabilities through the acquisition of Summit Eleven, adding temperature-controlled and flatbed transport. The portfolio is a platform-plus-services model: KANOPI provides the intelligence layer while specialized services provide execution across truckload, LTL, intermodal, refrigerated, expedited, and port modes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KANOPI: Proprietary shipper intelligence platform providing transportation data analytics, freight visibility, and logistics performance metrics for CPG brands
• The Summit

Products and services

• KANOPI Proprietary shipper intelligence platform providing transportation KPIs, spend analytics, freight network visualization, weather overlays, proactive alerts, consolidation savings tracking, and cross-departmental reporting for CPG shippers.
• The Summit Real-time freight visibility and shipment tracking tool that visualizes order progression with GPS location pings and personal driver check-ins, integrating with Zipline's Freight Management System and mapping software.
• LTL Freight Services Less-than-truckload shipping services leveraging Zipline's specialized carrier network to source competitively priced LTL capacity, with tracking via The Summit, LTL consolidation, multi-drop programs, and optimization consulting.
• Intermodal Services Intermodal shipping combining rail and truck with full management of sourcing, capacity booking, drayage, storage, pickup, and door-to-door delivery across all major rail lines, with reported cost savings of 10-40% over standard over-the-road trucking.
• Temperature Controlled Shipping

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% average on-time in-full (OTIF) performance for appointment
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Summit ElevencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2024Zipline Logistics acquired Summit Eleven, a multi-modal transportation provider based in Austin, Texas. The acquisition expands Zipline's capabilities in temperature control and flatbed transportation, strengthening their retail logistics solutions for CPG brands.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DSV: DSV is a global transport and logistics company offering road, air, sea, and contract logistics solutions following the Schenker integration. It is a broad incumbent in freight forwarding and contract logistics that competes for enterprise CPG transportation budgets.
• Uber Freight: Uber Freight operates a digital freight brokerage and managed transportation platform (incorporating Transplace) serving enterprise shippers across verticals. It is a broad incumbent using proprietary technology to compete with brokers like Zipline on managed transportation.
• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest global logistics providers, offering overland freight, contract logistics, and integrated supply chain solutions across multiple verticals. It is a broad incumbent providing overlapping road-freight and contract logistics services relevant to Zipline's CPG base.
• CH Robinson: CH Robinson is North America's largest freight broker and a global 3PL, offering managed transportation, truckload, LTL, intermodal, and supply chain consulting across thousands of shippers. It is a broad incumbent competing with Zipline in freight arrangement and managed services, albeit across all verticals rather than CPG-only.

Direct peers

• BlueGrace Logistics: BlueGrace Logistics is a non-asset 3PL and freight brokerage offering truckload, LTL, intermodal, and managed transportation services. It is a direct peer in brokerage and managed transportation serving mid-market shippers.
• AIT Worldwide Logistics: AIT Worldwide Logistics is a global non-asset freight forwarder and 3PL offering managed transportation, truckload, LTL, intermodal, and warehousing. It is a direct peer in multi-mode managed transportation competing for similar enterprise CPG/logistics budgets.
• Coyote Logistics (UPS): Coyote Logistics is a major non-asset freight brokerage and managed transportation provider, owned by UPS, offering truckload, LTL, intermodal, and supply chain solutions. It is a direct brokerage peer to Zipline with overlapping multi-mode services and carrier-broker model.
• RXO: RXO is a publicly traded technology-enabled freight brokerage and last-mile logistics provider offering truckload, LTL, managed transportation, and last-mile services. It is a direct peer in non-asset brokerage with comparable multi-mode and managed transportation offerings.
• Echo Global Logistics: Echo Global Logistics is a non-asset 3PL offering truckload, LTL, managed transportation, and technology-driven logistics services across multiple verticals. It is a direct peer comparable in business model and managed-transportation scope.

Emerging players

• Worldwide Express: Worldwide Express is a non-asset logistics provider focused on LTL, truckload, and managed transportation with particular strength in serving CPG and retail shippers. It is a direct competitor in the CPG/retail logistics niche that Zipline occupies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ziplinelogistic
• Facebookfacebook.com/ziplinelogistics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/491352
• Instagraminstagram.com/ZiplineLogistics
• TikToktiktok.com/@ziplinelogistics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Zipline Logistics