Sharkey Transportation

What Sharkey Transportation does

Sharkey Transportation, Inc. is a private, founder-led irregular-route motor carrier headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, founded May 1, 1971 by Jack Sharkey. The company operates as a common and contract carrier across the 48 contiguous United States, with primary freight density in a 13-state Midwestern network and intrastate authority in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Its service portfolio spans asset-based truckload transportation (dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and flatbed crane), freight brokerage, warehousing (over one million square feet), equipment leasing for tractors and trailers, drop lot management, local spotting, and in-house maintenance through ASE-certified mechanics at 10 full-service shop facilities.

The operating platform is built around a fleet of Mack trucks (Pinnacles and Anthems) and more than 3,500 trailers (dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, cryogenic, specialty), supported by Samsara electronic logging systems, APUs/inverters, and outward-facing cameras. All equipment is coordinated through a centralized dispatch operation in Quincy with daily contact to drivers and 14 strategically positioned terminals. Operational metrics disclosed include approximately 98% preplanned loads and 65% drop-and-hook freight, indicating a high predictability model that reduces empty miles and detention.

Commercially, Sharkey generates revenue through transaction-based transportation fees (CPM and percentage-of-revenue pricing for shippers and dedicated lanes), brokerage commissions, recurring warehousing and equipment leasing contracts, and spot/drop lot services. GTM is sales-led and direct, with a customer service team (800-395-6555) serving shippers and a dedicated recruiting team (800-354-8945) sourcing CDL drivers. Customer base exceeds 3,000, with the original six 1971 customers still active; the company is believed to remain under founder/family ownership with no documented PE, VC, or institutional capital involvement.

Name

Sharkey Transportation

Legal name

Sharkey Transportation, Inc.

Website

https://shke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sharkey Transportation is a private, founder-led Midwest motor carrier founded in 1971, providing dry van, reefer, flatbed, brokerage, warehousing, and equipment leasing services across 48 states via 14 terminals and 3,500+ trailers for 3,000+ commercial shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Truckload Transportation and Logistics Services

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerated (Temp-Controlled) TL Carriers (TLADADAB)

Keywords

• Truckload transportation
• Freight brokerage
• Warehousing services
• Equipment leasing
• Logistics solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Quincy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Truckload Transportation Services: Sharkey Transportation generates revenue through providing truckload transportation services including dry van, reefer, and flatbed freight hauling across 48 states. Revenue is based on miles driven and freight hauled, with both CPM (cents per mile) and percentage-based pay structures for dedicated lanes.
2. Freight Brokerage: Arranging transportation for customers' freight needs, cutting transportation costs and reducing shipping risks for customers while generating brokerage commissions.
3. Equipment Leasing: Long and short-term leasing options for trucks (tractors) and trailers (dry van, refrigerated, flatbed) maintained by in-house ASE certified mechanics.
4. Warehousing Services: Over one million square feet of warehouse space offered as both full-service and space-only warehousing options.
5. Spotting and Lot Management: Trailer spotting services and drop lot management throughout the service area for driver flexibility and on-time delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sharkey Transportation is an irregular-route, common and contract motor carrier providing truckload freight transportation and logistics services across the 48 contiguous United States, with a primary Midwest operating network. The company operates a fleet of Mack trucks and 3,500+ trailers delivering dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and flatbed crane transportation, supplemented by freight brokerage, over 1 million square feet of warehousing, equipment leasing, and drop lot management services through 14 strategically positioned terminals.

Product overview

Sharkey Transportation is an irregular-route, common and contract motor carrier providing freight transportation and logistics services across the 48 contiguous United States. Founded in 1971, the company operates a single integrated platform of transportation and logistics services, including dry van, reefer, flatbed, and flatbed crane trucking; freight brokerage; warehousing (over 1 million sq ft); equipment leasing; maintenance; drop lot management; and 24/7 dispatch services. The company also operates an OTR Driver Training Program for new CDL graduates and a Driver Referral Program. Services are delivered through 14 strategically positioned terminals across the Midwest, with approximately 98% preplanned freight and 65% drop-and-hook operations. The company also recently introduced dedicated lane offerings with guaranteed minimum weekly pay (spring 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dry Van and Reefer Transportation Over-the-road trucking services using refrigerated (reefer) and dry van trailers for temperature-sensitive and general freight across the 48 contiguous states, delivered through Sharkey's owned fleet of Mack trucks.
• Flatbed Transportation Flatbed trucking services for oversized, heavy, or non-conventional cargo that cannot fit in enclosed trailers, operating across the contiguous United States.
• Flatbed Crane Services Specialized flatbed service with crane capability for loading and unloading heavy equipment without external lifting assets.
• Local Spotting Services Local yard spotting services in Beardstown, IL and Keokuk, IA for maneuvering trailers within distribution and warehouse facilities.
• Freight Brokerage Arranges third-party transportation services for customers, leveraging Sharkey's carrier network to cut costs and reduce shipping risks.
• Warehousing Services Over one million square feet of warehouse space offered as both full-service and space-only warehousing options across the company's terminal locations.
• Equipment Leasing - Trailers and Tractors Long and short-term leasing of trailers (dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, cryogenic, specialty) and tractors (trucks) from Sharkey's fleet of over 3,500 trailers.
• Maintenance and Repair Services In-house maintenance and repair services performed by ASE certified mechanics at 10 full-service shop facilities across terminal locations.
• Drop Lot Management Drop lot facilities maintained throughout the service area to allow drivers greater freight flexibility and ensure on-time delivery.
• Customer Service and 24/7 Dispatch 24/7 dispatch and customer service operations headquartered in Quincy, Illinois with dedicated fleet managers for each driver and direct customer service lines.
• OTR Driver Training Program Paid 5-week (25 days) over-the-road training program for new CDL-A graduates, including $500 orientation pay and $140 per 24 hours with a trainer, transitioning to 45 CPM solo driving for 24 weeks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Driver retention: average tenure exceeds 6 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hub Group: Public intermodal and logistics provider (NASDAQ: HUBG) with brokerage and dedicated capacity; comparable asset-light logistics overlap and Midwest operational presence.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Public diversified carrier (NASDAQ: JBHT) with truckload, intermodal, and brokerage; competes with Sharkey in brokerage and dedicated capacity while offering a far larger digital freight platform.
• Werner Enterprises: Large public TL carrier (NASDAQ: WERN) with dedicated, one-way, and logistics services; comparable diversified offering but materially larger scale, serving as a broader benchmark incumbent.
• Schneider National: Public diversified carrier (NYSE: SNDR) operating truckload, intermodal, and logistics; overlaps with Sharkey's TL and brokerage services at much larger scale with more sophisticated digital offerings.
• Knight-Swift Transportation: Largest U.S. truckload carrier (NYSE: KNX) with TL, LTL, and logistics arms; competes in the same customer segments but operates nationally at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Heartland Express: Midwest-headquartered irregular-route truckload carrier (NASDAQ: HTLD) operating a comparable asset-based TL model with refrigerated and dry van capacity; closest public-market comparable to Sharkey in size and operating geography.
• Hirschbach Motor Lines: Refrigerated truckload specialist headquartered in the Midwest serving similar customers; competes directly with Sharkey's reefer offering and shares the Midwest regional density thesis.
• Marten Transport: Public TL carrier with a meaningful refrigerated and intermodal mix; similar mid-sized scale and Midwest operating footprint, making it a closely comparable asset-based peer.
• Crete Carrier Corporation: Privately held Midwest truckload carrier offering dry van and refrigerated services across 48 states; similar ownership profile (founder/family-controlled) and overlapping customer base.
• Prime Inc. Large privately held TL carrier with refrigerated, flatbed, and tanker divisions; comparable Midwest origins and a diversified equipment mix overlapping with Sharkey's service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/driveshke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharkey-transportation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sharkey Transportation