What Erb Transport does

Erb Transport, operating as The Erb Group, is a family-owned Canadian refrigerated transportation and cold-chain logistics provider founded in 1959 by Vernon Erb in New Hamburg, Ontario, and led since 2011 by his son Wendell Erb as CEO and Chairman. The corporate entity, Erb Enterprises Inc., operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries including Erb International Inc. (cross-border transportation) and Erb Cold Storage (ECS). Erb serves approximately 2,750+ customers across all Canadian provinces and the lower 48 US states through 10 strategically placed terminals, an asset-based fleet of roughly 1,650+ tractors and trailers, and a tightly defined Canada-to-US and US-to-Canada cross-border lane (the company does not service purely domestic US-to-US freight).

The core service portfolio bundles seven refrigerated logistics offerings — Less-Than-Truckload (LTL), Truckload, Erb Expedite (24/7 emergency shipments), Courier & Home Delivery (B2C fulfillment with a tracking app in Southern Ontario, Ottawa, and Montreal), Direct Store Delivery, Dedicated Services (multi-year fixed-rate contracts), and Erb Cold Storage — into a single one-stop-shop relationship. Underlying technology is conventional enterprise logistics: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) integration, satellite-based shipment tracking, and three proprietary web platforms (Erb Interactive client portal, Erb Connect employee portal, and the Cold Storage Portal). Revenue mechanics are transaction-based: per-shipment pricing using cube, weight, and distance models with weekly fuel surcharge adjustments, plus multi-year fixed-rate dedicated contracts.

The go-to-market is B2B and sales-led, executed through direct terminal relationships, inside sales, and a website-driven quote-request funnel. Primary customers are food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers (Good Food for Good, Crafty Ramen, Mercanti, No Sugar Company, Lactalis Canada), with secondary exposure to pharmaceutical/healthcare, direct-to-consumer perishable brands, and enterprise accounts. The company is privately held with no external institutional investment and does not publish financial statements, leaving revenue and margins undisclosed. Competitive advantages rest on cross-border customs certifications (HACCP, C-TPAT, FAST, CSA, PIP) that enable expedited border crossing, 65+ years of family stewardship, 13 consecutive years as a Top Fleet Employer (2014-2025), and 2026 TCA Elite Fleet Carrier recognition.

Name

Erb Transport

Legal name

Erb Enterprises Inc

Website

https://erbgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Erb Group is a family-owned Canadian refrigerated transportation and cold-chain logistics provider serving 2,750+ customers across Canada and the US. Founded in 1959, it operates 10 terminals, a 1,650+ tractor/trailer fleet, and offers LTL, truckload, expedite, home delivery, dedicated, and cold storage services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigerated Transportation Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage (49312)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Public Warehousing & Storage (4220)

akta.pro primary industry

Chilled / Fresh Transport (Refrigerated) (TLADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cold‑Chain Same‑Day (Refrigerated/Frozen) (TLAAADAF), Temperature-Controlled E-commerce & DTC Parcels (TLAAAJAJ), Dedicated/Contract Cold Storage (Single-Client) (AFAOAFAB)

Keywords

• Refrigerated transportation services
• Temperature-controlled trucking
• Cold chain logistics
• Less than truckload shipping
• Cold storage warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

New Hamburg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refrigerated Transportation Services: Temperature-controlled trucking and logistics services including LTL, truckload, expedite, and dedicated services across Canada and the US. Revenue generated through transportation fees based on distance, weight, cubic volume, and fuel surcharges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Erb Group provides temperature-controlled (refrigerated) transportation, distribution, and cold-storage services for perishable goods across Canada and the United States. Its asset-based fleet of 1,650+ tractors and trailers operates out of 10 terminals to deliver LTL, full truckload, expedited, courier/home delivery, direct store delivery, and dedicated-route logistics, supported by satellite tracking, EDI integration, and proprietary client portals.

Product overview

The Erb Group is a family-owned refrigerated transportation provider offering a comprehensive suite of temperature-controlled logistics services across North America. The core service portfolio consists of Less Than Truckload (LTL) and Truckload shipping, Erb Expedite (expedited delivery), Courier & Home Delivery (B2C fulfillment), Direct Store Delivery (DSD), Dedicated Services, and Erb Cold Storage (ECS) for warehousing and distribution. These services are supported by proprietary digital platforms including Erb Interactive (client portal for tracking and ordering), Erb Connect (employee portal), and a Cold Storage Portal for inventory management. Together, these offerings provide end-to-end cold chain logistics from point of origin to final delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Erb Expedite: Expedited freight shipping service with specialized vans and straight trucks for time-sensitive temperature-controlled shipments, available 24/7 for last-minute emergency shipments within Canada and between Canada and the US.
• Erb Cold Storage (ECS)

Products and services

• Less Than Truckload (LTL) Temperature-controlled LTL shipping service with scheduled service days, temperature-controlled docks, and store distribution across Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. Priced on a cube model with a minimum density threshold of 12 lbs per cubic foot.
• Truckload (FTL) Temperature-controlled full truckload (FTL) shipping service operating between the 48 contiguous US states and Canada with fast transit times, suitable for shipments of 10,000+ lbs or 6+ pallet spots.
• Erb Expedite Expedited freight shipping service available 24/7 for last-minute emergency temperature-controlled shipments, using specialized refrigerated vans and straight trucks across Canada and between Canada and the US.
• Courier & Home Delivery Refrigerated courier service with real-time shipment tracking and personal doorstep delivery in Southern Ontario, Ottawa and the Montreal area, including a tracking app and call-ahead service for B2C fulfillment.
• Direct Store Delivery Delivery service that ships products directly from manufacturers or suppliers to retail locations, offering next-day and two-day delivery across much of Ontario and Quebec.
• Dedicated Services Custom transportation solutions offering dedicated TL, LTL, Courier, Expedite or Home Delivery capacity available 24/7, with fixed-rate multi-year packages and pickup/delivery of high-value commodities requiring special handling.
• Erb Cold Storage (ECS) Cold storage facilities in Ontario and Quebec providing cold storage, transportation and logistics with one point of contact, retail distribution inventory management, and container de-stuffing services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65+ years in business with consistent growth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA)minorOthersProud member of GCCA, an international association dedicated to the cold chain industry
• SmartWay TransportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartWay Transport Partner committed to environmental sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Women in TruckingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Women in Trucking organization promoting diversity in the transportation industry
• Trucks for ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity initiative supporting food banks and hunger relief through trucking donations
• Ontario Trucking AssociationminorOthersMember of OTA, supporting the trucking industry in Ontario
• Special Olympics Ontario Truck RideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud supporter of Special Olympics Ontario Truck Ride initiative
• Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)minorOthersLongstanding member of TCA, recognized for Elite Fleet Carrier status

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mullen Group: Mullen Group is a Western Canadian logistics and warehousing conglomerate with significant refrigerated and less-than-truckload operations. Comparable to Erb in serving Western Canada with multi-modal freight, though much larger and more diversified beyond reefer.
• Lineage Logistics: Lineage is the world's largest temperature-controlled warehousing operator with extensive cold storage facilities across North America. Comparable to Erb's ECS cold storage division through shared focus on temperature-controlled warehousing, though Lineage dwarfs Erb in scale and operates primarily as a warehouse REIT-like platform.
• Americold Logistics: Americold is the largest publicly-traded temperature-controlled warehousing company in North America. Comparable to Erb's cold storage services through similar refrigerated warehousing offerings and food-supply-chain customer base, though Americold is a pure-play warehouse REIT.
• Schneider National: Schneider National is a large US public carrier with a meaningful refrigerated division serving food shippers across North America. Comparable to Erb through cross-border refrigerated TL and dedicated food-industry services, though Schneider operates a much larger multi-modal platform including intermodal and logistics.
• Trimac Transportation: Trimac is a Canadian bulk and specialized carrier with cross-border tank and dry bulk operations. Adjacent peer to Erb through shared Canadian private ownership, cross-border expertise, and food/consumer goods customer base, though Trimac focuses on bulk rather than reefer.
• TFI International: TFI International is a Canadian public transportation and logistics conglomerate with extensive LTL, truckload, and logistics operations including refrigerated capacity. Comparable to Erb through Canadian-headquartered LTL and food-industry freight, though TFI is significantly larger and publicly traded.

Direct peers

• Day & Ross Transportation Group: Day & Ross is one of Canada's largest LTL and refrigerated carriers with cross-border Canada-US operations. Direct head-to-head competitor to Erb on temperature-controlled LTL/TL across Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, with similar food-industry customer base.
• Bison Transport: Bison Transport is a major Canadian asset-based truckload carrier with cross-border capabilities and a substantial reefer fleet. Comparable to Erb in private Canadian ownership, cross-border Canada-US lanes, and food-industry customer mix, though Bison is larger and more truckload-focused.
• Challenger Motor Freight: Challenger is a privately-held Canadian carrier running cross-border LTL, TL, and refrigerated freight between Canada, the US and Mexico. Comparable to Erb as a family-owned Canadian carrier with cross-border reefer capability and similar mid-market food shipper base.

Regional players

• Kriska Holdings: Kriska is a privately-held Canadian transportation and logistics provider offering TL, LTL, intermodal and warehousing services across Canada and the US. Comparable to Erb as a private Canadian carrier with cross-border reach, though more diversified beyond refrigerated.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheErbGroup
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/the-erb-group

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Erb Transport