Colonial Cartage

Refrigerated LTL Trucking and Cold-Chain Transportation Servicescolonialcartage.com

Colonial Cartage is a family-owned, asset-based refrigerated LTL carrier founded in 1950, operating from Kennesaw, Georgia with 65 tractors and 200 trailers serving food, beverage, confectionery, CPG, and pharmaceutical customers across 26 U.S. states through integrated warehousing and transportation services.

Company typePrivate
Founded1950
HeadquartersKennesaw, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Colonial Cartage does

Colonial Cartage Corporation is a privately held, family-owned asset-based carrier founded in 1950 and headquartered at 3000 Cobb International Blvd., Kennesaw, Georgia. The company operates from a single terminal shared with sister company Atlanta Bonded Warehouse, providing food-grade dry and temperature-controlled less-than-truckload (LTL) and truckload (TL) distribution, cross-docking, plant shuttle, breakbulk, and pool distribution services on weekly schedules to retailers and distributors across 26 states (Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, Upper Midwest, and Great Plains). Its fleet comprises 65 company-owned tractors and 200 temperature-controlled trailers, expanded by approximately 20% over the prior four years, supported by an onsite 4-bay maintenance facility, with temperature control managed through Blue Tree and ELD compliance via KeepTruckin (Motive). The customer base is concentrated in food and beverage processors, confectionery manufacturers, consumer packaged goods (CPG), pharmaceutical, and food retail/distribution segments requiring reliable temperature-controlled distribution and FDA-compliant food-grade operations.

Colonial Cartage sells under multi-year, quote-based contracts priced on volume, frequency, distance, and temperature requirements (LTL, TL, plant support, cross-docking). The go-to-market is direct enterprise and mid-market sales with flat organizational structure providing direct access to decision-makers, supplemented by inbound traffic from trade publication recognition (11 consecutive Inbound Logistics Top 100 Carrier awards, 2014-2024). The technology backbone is a customized Transportation Management System from Tailored Logistics Solutions integrated with Atlanta Bonded Warehouse's Warehouse Management System, supporting full X12 EDI (204, 210, 214, 990) data exchange, in-house middleware for custom file formats, real-time GPS and reefer visibility, and Lytx/Drivecam video safety monitoring.

The company has won multiple GMTA Truck Safety Awards and ATA Safety & Loss Prevention Management Council first-place awards (LTL division) spanning 2015-2024, including the 2024 GMTA President's Award, and reports among the lowest driver turnover rates in the industry, with all 52 drivers accident-free on Georgia public roadways in 2023. Capital structure is private with no institutional investors, no PE backing, and no public listing; expansion has been funded organically alongside sister-company warehousing growth across 17 facilities totaling 7.5 million square feet (predominantly Atlanta metro, plus Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Indiana).

Colonial Cartage firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Colonial Cartage
Legal name: Colonial Cartage Corporation
Website: https://colonialcartage.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1950
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Colonial Cartage is a family-owned, asset-based refrigerated LTL carrier founded in 1950, operating from Kennesaw, Georgia with 65 tractors and 200 trailers serving food, beverage, confectionery, CPG, and pharmaceutical customers across 26 U.S. states through integrated warehousing and transportation services.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Colonial Cartage industry classification

Industry

Product category: Refrigerated LTL Trucking and Cold-Chain Transportation Services
NAICS: Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (493120), General Freight Trucking, Local (48411)
SIC: Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)
akta.pro primary industry: Refrigerated Truck (Reefer) Leasing & Rental (TLABABAD)
akta.pro secondary industries: Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA), Contract Warehousing / Dedicated Warehousing (Dry) (TLALAAAB)

Keywords

Refrigerated LTL trucking
Temperature-controlled freight
Cold chain logistics
Food grade transportation
Reefer carrier services

Where Colonial Cartage is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Kennesaw
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Colonial Cartage business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Temperature-Controlled LTL Transportation: Less-than-truckload freight consolidation services for temperature-sensitive cargo including food, pharmaceuticals, and consumables. Revenue generated through per-shipment fees based on weight, distance, and temperature requirements. One of the largest refrigerated LTL pool programs in the United States.
Truckload (TL) Transportation: Full truckload services within 150-mile radius of metro Atlanta and selected TL lanes in neighboring states. Revenue generated through per-load fees.
Plant Support Services: Local plant shuttle transportation for raw materials, work-in-process, packaging, and finished goods within 150 miles of Atlanta. Revenue generated through per-service fees for inbound/outbound plant logistics.
Cross-Docking Services: Transfer of products from one truck to another across a staging area, eliminating storage requirements. Integrated with sister company Atlanta Bonded Warehouse operations.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Multi-year contract	Custom quote-based pricing

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Colonial Cartage product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Colonial Cartage is a temperature-controlled, asset-based LTL trucking carrier that hauls refrigerated and frozen freight for food, beverage, CPG, and pharmaceutical shippers. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, the company operates 65 tractors and 200 trailers across a 26-state service area, with complementary cross-docking, warehousing, breakbulk, and pool distribution capabilities delivered through its sister company Atlanta Bonded Warehouse.

Product overview

Colonial Cartage is a full-service, asset-based carrier providing a unified suite of temperature-controlled and ambient transportation services. The core offering centers on refrigerated and dry LTL freight consolidation (covering 26 states), complemented by truckload (TL) services within a 150-mile radius of metro Atlanta, pool distribution, cross-docking, plant support shuttle transportation, and breakbulk services. Warehousing capabilities are delivered through sister company Atlanta Bonded Warehouse, which provides public and contract ambient, temperature-controlled, and food-grade storage, order fulfillment, and co-packaging. Together, these services form an integrated 3PL solution combining transportation and warehousing for food, beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, and consumer packaged goods industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Refrigerated LTL Transportation
Truckload Services
Plant Support Services
Cross-Docking
Warehousing
Breakbulk Services
Pool Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

All 52 drivers accident-free on Georgia public roadways in 2023
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Colonial Cartage

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Colonial Cartage technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Colonial Cartage partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Atlanta Bonded WarehousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company under same ownership (ABH). Co-located on same campus in Kennesaw, GA. Atlanta Bonded Warehouse provides 3PL warehousing, cross-docking, co-packaging, and other logistics services that integrate with Colonial Cartage's transportation services. Shared terminal operations and integrated TMS-WMS systems. Colonial Cartage operates out of Atlanta Bonded Warehouse facilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Colonial Cartage competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

MBM (McLane Foodservice): Refrigerated food distribution specialist serving foodservice and retail. Overlaps with Colonial on temperature-controlled logistics for food customers, though more foodservice-tilted.
Pitt Ohio: Asset-based regional LTL carrier in the Eastern US with refrigerated capability and similar mid-market positioning. Comparable in fleet size and end-market focus on food and consumer goods.
Southeastern Freight Lines: Regional LTL carrier headquartered in Lexington, SC with deep Southeast coverage and similar food/CPG customer base. Comparable regional LTL footprint though less specialized in refrigerated.
Averitt Express: Asset-based LTL and truckload carrier headquartered in Cookeville, TN with significant refrigerated LTL capability serving the Southeast and nationwide. Closest comparable in scale, reefer specialization, and food/CPG customer mix.
R+L Carriers: Privately held asset-based LTL and truckload carrier with reefer capacity and nationwide service. Similar family-owned operating philosophy and direct food/CPG customer overlap.

Others

Americold Logistics: Largest temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics provider in the US. Sister company Atlanta Bonded Warehouse competes with Americold for food-grade cold storage, making it a warehouse-side peer rather than trucking competitor.

Regional players

Central Freight Lines: Regional LTL carrier in Texas/Southwest with refrigerated capability. Comparable regional reefer LTL model though different geographic core.

Broad incumbents

Saia Inc: Publicly traded LTL carrier with national footprint and growing less-than-truckload density. Larger scale and broader geographic reach; competes for many of the same food and CPG LTL RFPs.
Old Dominion Freight Line: Largest LTL carrier in the US by revenue with industry-leading economics. National network increasingly competes for reefer-sensitive food/CPG volume that historically went to regional specialists.

Emerging players

Echo Global Logistics: Non-asset 3PL with significant refrigerated brokerage and LTL capacity. Competes for the same shipper relationships via a different asset-light model, providing a contrasting benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Colonial Cartage financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Colonial Cartage leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Colonial Cartage funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Colonial Cartage M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Colonial Cartage

What does Colonial Cartage do?

Is Colonial Cartage a public or private company?

Colonial Cartage is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.

When was Colonial Cartage founded?

Colonial Cartage was founded in 1950. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Colonial Cartage based?

Colonial Cartage is headquartered in Kennesaw, United States, in the North America region.

How does Colonial Cartage make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Temperature-Controlled LTL Transportation is the primary driver. The others are truckload (TL) Transportation, plant Support Services and cross-Docking Services.

Who are Colonial Cartage's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are MBM (McLane Foodservice), Pitt Ohio, Southeastern Freight Lines, Averitt Express and R+L Carriers. Americold Logistics is listed as an others. Central Freight Lines is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Saia Inc and Old Dominion Freight Line. Echo Global Logistics is listed as an emerging player.

Does Colonial Cartage have an API?

No public API is recorded for Colonial Cartage.

What industry is Colonial Cartage in?

Colonial Cartage's product category is Refrigerated LTL Trucking and Cold-Chain Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABABAD, Refrigerated Truck (Reefer) Leasing & Rental, with a secondary code of TLADADAA, Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers. Its NAICS code is 4842 and its SIC code is 4210.