Lightning Transportation
Lightning Transportation is a privately-held intermodal drayage and domestic truckload carrier serving import-export shippers and freight brokers across seven East Coast terminals, operating on a 100% owner-operator model with proprietary dispatch and EDI technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersHagerstown, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lightning Transportation does
Lightning Transportation is a privately-held trucking company specializing in intermodal drayage and domestic truckload services for import-export cargo. Founded in the early 1970s and headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland, the company operates seven terminal locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States — Hagerstown (corporate HQ and centralized Customer Care Center), Baltimore, Norfolk/Chesapeake, Charlotte, Charleston/Hanahan, Savannah, and the newest Atlanta/East Point terminal. It serves import/export shippers and freight brokers/logistics companies, moving containers between major East Coast ocean ports, rail terminals, and inland destinations under interchange agreements with all steamship lines.
The company operates on a 100% owner-operator business model, contracting independent drivers rather than maintaining an employed fleet, with the Hagerstown office providing centralized dispatch, safety, recruiting, rate quotes, and invoicing. Its technology stack includes a proprietary Computerized Dispatch Control System (CDCS) for real-time freight movement monitoring, full ANSI X12 EDI integration (transaction sets 204, 210, 214, 990, 997) for load tenders, shipment status, and invoicing, electronic document imaging, custom-formatted reporting, and fuel/GHG emissions reporting. Revenue is generated per-shipment (transaction-fee model) on a quote-based pricing structure that is not publicly disclosed.
Lightning was ranked #319 in America's Top 500 For Hire Carriers (Transport Topics, 2019) and received the 2015 Zim House Trucker Award for the South Atlantic Region. The company is founder/management-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, private equity backing, or public listing; leadership includes President Wayne Gaumer, VP of Operations Mike Rankin, and VP of Finance Michelle Mummert.
Lightning Transportation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lightning Transportation
- Legal name
- Lightning Transportation Inc.
- Website
- https://lightningtrans.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Lightning Transportation is a privately-held intermodal drayage and domestic truckload carrier serving import-export shippers and freight brokers across seven East Coast terminals, operating on a 100% owner-operator model with proprietary dispatch and EDI technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lightning Transportation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intermodal Drayage
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dispatch, Fleet & Transportation Operations (Road/Rail) (EDAOANAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Mobility & Ground Transport Management (THALANAI)
Keywords
Where Lightning Transportation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hagerstown
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Lightning Transportation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Intermodal Drayage Services: Transportation of import/export cargo containers between ports, rail terminals, and final destinations. Revenue generated per shipment based on distance, weight, and service requirements.
- Domestic Truckload Services: Full truckload domestic transportation services complementing intermodal operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Lightning Transportation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lightning Transportation is an intermodal drayage and domestic truckload carrier that moves import/export containers between ocean ports, rail terminals, and final destinations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States. The company operates seven terminal locations, runs a 100% owner-operator fleet model, and supports its transportation services with a proprietary Computerized Dispatch Control System (CDCS), EDI integration, electronic document imaging, custom reporting, and fuel/GHG emissions tracking for customers.
Product overview
Lightning Transportation operates as an intermodal drayage and domestic truckload transportation company serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on Intermodal Drayage for import-export cargo, supported by a suite of technology services including EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), Imaging/Electronic Storage, Computerized Dispatch Control System (CDCS), Custom Formatted Reporting, and Fuel Use & GHG Emissions Reports. The core transportation offering is Intermodal Drayage, while the technology services function as operational enablers for the main shipping/logistics business rather than standalone products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Intermodal Drayage Primary service providing intermodal land transportation for import-export cargo, including interchange agreements with all steamship lines and drayage operations to and from ocean ports and rail terminals across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States.
- Domestic Truckload Services Full truckload domestic transportation services complementing intermodal drayage for cargo movement between inland destinations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
Quantifiable outcome
- On-time delivery with safe and reliable service
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lightning Transportation
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lightning Transportation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Lightning Transportation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lightning Transportation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hub Group: Public intermodal and drayage operator with national terminal footprint and direct intermodal container relationships with railroads and steamship lines—the most directly comparable scaled peer to Lightning's drayage business.
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services: One of the largest US intermodal carriers, operating drayage and container movement across all major East Coast and Gulf ports, with comparable customer segments among shippers and freight brokers.
- Schneider National: Major intermodal and truckload carrier with substantial East Coast port drayage capacity; competes for the same import/export shipper and freight broker customers as Lightning.
- NFI Industries: Privately held intermodal drayage and dedicated truckload operator with East Coast port coverage—closest privately held comparable in scale and service mix to Lightning Transportation.
- Knight-Swift Transportation: Large asset-based truckload and intermodal carrier that competes for similar freight; offers a benchmark for how a scale player with mixed intermodal/truckload economics operates.
- Werner Enterprises: National truckload and dedicated carrier with intermodal exposure; relevant comparable for Lightning's domestic truckload service line and East Coast freight mix.
- Daseke: Multi-modal flatbed and specialized freight operator with port-adjacent drayage operations; relevant for understanding the consolidation playbook in fragmented drayage markets.
- Marten Transport: Mid-cap truckload and intermodal carrier serving similar temperature-controlled and dry van freight with East Coast terminal presence—a reasonable scale benchmark for Lightning.
- Triple Crown Services: Norfolk Southern's intermodal trucking subsidiary providing drayage at East Coast rail terminals; directly comparable to Lightning's Charlotte and Mid-Atlantic rail drayage lanes.
- U.S. Xpress Enterprises: Asset-based truckload and intermodal carrier with East Coast operations; provides a comparison point for how mid-sized carriers compete against national drayage incumbents.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lightning Transportation social profiles
Digital presenceLightning Transportation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lightning Transportation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Lightning Transportation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lightning Transportation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lightning Transportation
What does Lightning Transportation do?
Lightning Transportation is an intermodal drayage and domestic truckload carrier that moves import/export containers between ocean ports, rail terminals, and final destinations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States. The company operates seven terminal locations, runs a 100% owner-operator fleet model, and supports its transportation services with a proprietary Computerized Dispatch Control System (CDCS), EDI integration, electronic document imaging, custom reporting, and fuel/GHG emissions tracking for customers.
Is Lightning Transportation a public or private company?
Lightning Transportation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lightning Transportation founded?
Lightning Transportation was founded in 1970. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Lightning Transportation based?
Lightning Transportation is headquartered in Hagerstown, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lightning Transportation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Intermodal Drayage Services are the primary driver. The others are domestic Truckload Services.
Who are Lightning Transportation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hub Group, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Schneider National, NFI Industries, Knight-Swift Transportation, Werner Enterprises, Daseke, Marten Transport, Triple Crown Services and U.S. Xpress Enterprises.
Does Lightning Transportation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lightning Transportation.
What industry is Lightning Transportation in?
Lightning Transportation's product category is Intermodal Drayage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOANAJ, Dispatch, Fleet & Transportation Operations (Road/Rail), with a secondary code of THALANAI, Corporate Mobility & Ground Transport Management. Its SIC code is 4700.