Southwestern Motor Transport

What Southwestern Motor Transport does

Southwestern Motor Transport, Inc. (SMT) is a privately held, asset-based freight transportation carrier headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with continuous operating history dating to 1930 when it was founded as Gilbert Truck Line in Cotulla, TX. The company operates a fleet of more than 350 tractors providing less-than-truckload (LTL) service, full truckload service, expedited "Wing Express" delivery (across four tiers: Express, Guaranteed, Expedited, and Air), and consolidation/distribution services across most of the United States, with dedicated thru-service between Mexico (six thru-trailer entry ports) and Canada (via Detroit to Ontario and Quebec). SMT maintains seven regional customer service centers across Texas (San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Laredo, Austin, El Paso, Harlingen) and is privately held, debt-free, and rated 4A1 by Dun & Bradstreet.

SMT's technology stack centers on a proprietary transportation management system with full EDI/API capabilities supporting 12 industry-standard X12 transaction sets (204, 210, 211, 214, 216, 820, 824, 856, 990, 997), satellite and GPS tracking of over-the-road and city units, ELD-compliant electronic logging, an optical imaging system for bill of lading and proof-of-delivery documentation, and a Profound UI-based customer portal (MySMT) offering pickup requests, transit-time calculations, rate quoting, shipment tracking, and reporting. The stack is integration-focused rather than AI-driven — there are no disclosed machine-learning, computer-vision, or predictive-analytics capabilities.

The business model is a transaction-fee freight carrier paid by shippers per shipment, with pricing based on weight, dimensions, distance, and service level. Standard rates are quote-based and not publicly disclosed; Wing Express services command a 20% premium above standard discounted LTL rates, with SMT voiding the Wing charge if service standards are not met. SMT serves enterprise and mid-market shippers across manufacturing (including Tier I/II automotive suppliers with JIT requirements), retail, medical/healthcare, chemical, and food/beverage verticals, and extends its reach beyond its owned fleet through a partner-carrier network. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds and no public revenue.

Name

Southwestern Motor Transport

Legal name

Southwestern Motor Transport, Inc.

Website

https://smtl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southwestern Motor Transport is a privately held, San Antonio-based asset-based freight carrier offering LTL, truckload, expedited (Wing Express), and distribution services across the US, Mexico, and Canada via 350+ tractors and seven Texas regional service centers, serving manufacturing, automotive, retail, medical, chemical, and food shippers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Transportation Services

NAICS

General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), General Freight Trucking (4841), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border LTL (US-MX/US-CA) (TLADAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA), Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)

Keywords

• Less-than-truckload freight
• Truckload freight transportation
• Expedited freight delivery
• Cross-border logistics
• Freight distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freight Transportation Services: Revenue generated from less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) freight transportation services. Services include standard delivery, expedited Wing Express services (with premium pricing for guaranteed delivery), and cross-border service between US, Mexico, and Canada. Pricing is based on shipment weight, distance, and service level.
2. Wing Express Expedited Services: Premium expedited delivery services including Wing Express (20% premium for guaranteed on-time delivery), Wing Guaranteed (delivery within specified time window), Wing Expedited (cut 1-3 days off normal transit), and Wing Air (next flight out and overnight delivery). Revenue from these services includes 20% premium charges and quoted pricing for custom solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southwestern Motor Transport is an asset-based freight transportation carrier that sells less-than-truckload (LTL), full truckload (TL), expedited (Wing Express ground and air), and consolidation/distribution services to commercial shippers across most of the United States and between Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Services are delivered using an owned fleet of 350+ tractors, supplemented by a partner-carrier network, online self-service tools, full X12 EDI/API integration, and seven regional customer service centers across Texas.

Product overview

Southwestern Motor Transport (SMT) operates as a freight transportation company offering a portfolio of four core service products: LTL Service (less-than-truckload shipping with multi-state and partner network coverage), Truckload Service (full truckload border-to-border shipping with six Mexico entry ports and Canada service via Detroit), Wing Express (a four-tier expedited delivery suite including Wing Express guaranteed, Wing Guaranteed time-window, Wing Expedited priority, and Wing Air overnight/next-flight-out options), and Distribution (consolidation and distribution through partner networks). These services are supported by customer-facing web tools under the MySMT portal including shipment tracking, transit time calculator, rate quote, and pickup request tools, all built on the Profound UI platform. SMT serves the U.S., Mexico, and Canada with over 350 tractors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wing Express: Expedited ground and air delivery service for LTL or Truckload shipments, offering on-time guaranteed delivery, time-specific delivery windows, expedited service, and next flight out/air delivery options.

Products and services

• LTL Service Less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation service with multi-state coverage in the United States and a network of partner carriers. Grown from a South Texas intrastate carrier into a multi-state and cross-border LTL operation.
• Truckload Service Full truckload freight transportation running border to border, with six thru-trailer entry ports into Mexico and through-trailer service into Canada via Detroit to Ontario and Quebec. Features satellite/GPS tracking, 24-hour central dispatch, and full EDI capabilities.
• Wing Express Expedited delivery service offering ground and air shipments for time-sensitive freight, available for LTL or truckload. Four service tiers: Wing Express (standard guaranteed on-time with 20% premium), Wing Guaranteed (delivery within specified time window), Wing Expedited (cut 1–3 days off normal transit with priority status and same-day/next-day options), and Wing Air (next flight out and overnight delivery for the most time-sensitive shipments).
• Distribution Consolidation and distribution services providing reliable freight handling through a network of partner carriers serving Mexico, Canada and the United States, used by customers to consolidate and route freight to multiple destinations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98-98.5% on-time service standard
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SMT Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of partner carriers that extends SMT's LTL service coverage across the US, enabling multi-state LTL coverage through partner collaboration. The partner network allows SMT to offer reliable service to Canada and the rest of the United States beyond their direct terminal network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• R+L Carriers: R+L Carriers is a privately held LTL/TL carrier offering expedited services and a broad partner-agent network. Directly comparable on LTL/TL mix, expedited premium service tier, and use of partner network for extended US coverage.
• TFI International: TFI International operates LTL and truckload networks across North America with explicit US-Mexico and US-Canada cross-border capability — the same cross-border moat SMT emphasizes through six Mexico entry ports and Detroit-to-Canada service.
• XPO Inc. XPO operates a major US LTL network and competes head-to-head on service quality, terminal density, and expedited offerings. Directly comparable on LTL/TL mix and enterprise EDI integration.
• Averitt Express: Averitt offers LTL, truckload, and expedited services to manufacturing, retail, and automotive customers — a near-identical service portfolio to SMT's LTL/TL/Wing Express stack. Comparable on expedited premium offerings and JIT automotive capability.
• ArcBest (ABF Freight): ArcBest's ABF Freight is a national LTL carrier serving manufacturing, retail, and industrial customers with comparable service standards and terminal network structure. Direct LTL peer with overlapping enterprise customer base.
• Old Dominion Freight Line: Old Dominion is the largest US LTL carrier and the operational benchmark for on-time service and claims ratio — the exact KPIs SMT cites. Same LTL service model, similar enterprise-customer focus, and similar geographic expansion from a regional base.
• Saia Inc. Saia is a publicly traded LTL carrier with a similar regional-to-national growth trajectory and comparable customer mix including industrial and retail accounts. Directly comparable on LTL service model, multi-terminal network, and EDI-enabled enterprise integration.
• Estes Express Lines: Estes is one of the largest privately held US LTL carriers, with a regional-to-national expansion history analogous to SMT. Comparable LTL service model, multi-terminal network, and diversified vertical exposure.
• AAA Cooper Transportation: AAA Cooper is a regional LTL carrier that has expanded from a Southeast base to multi-state coverage, closely paralleling SMT's Texas-centric origin and partner-network-driven national expansion. Similar enterprise-customer mix and on-time service claims.

Regional players

• Day & Ross: Day & Ross is a major Canadian LTL/TL carrier with cross-border US service via partner and direct operations. Directly comparable on cross-border US-Mexico/US-Canada capability, though primary operations are Canada-based rather than Texas-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwestern-motor-transport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Southwestern Motor Transport