Smith Trucking

What Smith Trucking does

Smith Trucking Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned refrigerated truckload carrier headquartered in Worthington, Minnesota, with a secondary terminal in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1946 by Joe Smith as a local grain and livestock hauler in Round Lake, MN, the company transitioned to over-the-road refrigerated trucking in the 1970s–1980s and rebranded as 'Smith Trucking' in 1978 after obtaining its own operating authority. Today it operates a fleet of 140 late-model Kenworth T680 and Freightliner Cascadia tractors and 250 Great Dane temperature-controlled trailers with satellite tracking, hauling fresh and frozen meat and other temperature-sensitive freight across the lower 48 states on dedicated Midwest-origin lanes to the West Coast, East Coast, and Southeast.

The company's core product is temperature-controlled freight transportation, sold via direct, relationship-based sales to enterprise food shippers — publicly named customers include JBS, Hormel, Tyson Foods, and Wells Blue Bunny. Revenue is generated through per-mile or per-load transportation fees on long-term partnership lanes. Operations are supported by McLeod Software (transportation management), Samsara electronic logging devices (ELD) for compliance and fleet management, and trailer satellite tracking for remote temperature, location, and security monitoring. The company emphasizes 95% no-touch / drop-and-hook operations and runs consistent lanes to support predictable driver miles.

The go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-focused, with no disclosed public pricing. Marketing and recruitment run through the company website and an active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, primarily aimed at driver recruitment rather than shipper acquisition. Smith Trucking remains privately held under continuous Smith family ownership, with no institutional, private equity, or parent-company investment, and reports no public financials. The firm holds USDOT #136046 and MC #154640 federal operating authorities.

Name

Smith Trucking

Legal name

Smith Trucking Inc.

Website

https://smithtruckinginc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smith Trucking is a third-generation, family-owned refrigerated truckload carrier based in Worthington, MN, operating 140 trucks and 250 reefer trailers to haul fresh and frozen meat and temperature-sensitive freight across the lower 48 states for enterprise food shippers including JBS, Hormel, Tyson Foods, and Wells Blue Bunny.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigerated Truckload Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight Trucking (4842)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigerated & Dairy Foods Wholesale (Dairy, Eggs, Chilled) (AFAIABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food & Beverage Cold Storage (Fresh/Chilled) (TLALABAA)

Keywords

• Refrigerated trucking services
• Temperature-controlled freight
• Truckload carrier services
• Frozen food transportation
• Meat shipping logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refrigerated Freight Transportation: Temperature-controlled trucking services hauling fresh and frozen meat and other temperature-sensitive freight across the lower 48 states for major food companies. Revenue generated through per-mile or per-load transportation fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smith Trucking provides asset-based refrigerated truckload transportation, hauling fresh and frozen meat and other temperature-sensitive freight for major food companies across the lower 48 states. Service is delivered through a fleet of 140 company-owned Kenworth and Freightliner tractors and 250 satellite-tracked Great Dane refrigerated trailers operating out of Worthington, MN and Sioux City, IA. The offering is centered on long-term enterprise carrier relationships with food processors such as JBS, Hormel, Tyson Foods, and Wells Blue Bunny.

Product overview

Smith Trucking is a family-owned refrigerated truckload carrier offering a single unified service portfolio focused on temperature-controlled freight transportation. The core offerings include Refrigerated Freight Services (hauling fresh and frozen meat and temperature-sensitive freight across the lower 48), Midwest Hub Operations connecting the Midwest to major markets, and Long-Term Partnership Programs serving major food companies like JBS, Hormel, and Tyson Foods. The fleet consists of 140 Kenworth and Freightliner tractors and 250 Great Dane refrigerated trailers, supported by Technology-Driven Fleet Management using McLeod software and Samsara ELD. The company operates from terminals in Worthington, MN and Sioux City, IA with primary shipping lanes across the Midwest, West Coast, and Northeast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refrigerated Freight Transportation Temperature-controlled truckload transportation of fresh and frozen meat and other perishable food products across the lower 48 United States, delivered through 140 company-owned tractors and 250 satellite-tracked refrigerated trailers for enterprise food shippers.
• Company Driver Employment Program Over-the-road (OTR) company driver positions on the Smith Trucking fleet, with compensation packages including per-mile pay up to $0.60 for experienced drivers, quarterly safety bonuses, additional pay for stops, detention and layover, and benefits through UnitedHealthcare with a 401(k) plan up to 4% company match.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drivers achieve 3M Accident Free Miles (e.g., Brian Ritter, 20 Years)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• McLeod SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationTransportation management software powering routing, tracking, and communication operations across Smith Trucking's fleet.
• SamsaracoreTechnology or IntegrationElectronic logging devices (ELD) for compliance and fleet management across company trucks.
• Great DanecoreOthersManufacturer of temperature-controlled trailers in Smith Trucking's fleet of 250 trailers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KLLM Transport Services: Family-influenced refrigerated truckload carrier serving major food shippers across the US with a similar asset-heavy, customer-relationship-driven model. Closest direct comparable to Smith Trucking in scale and vertical focus.
• Hirschbach Motor Lines: Refrigerated trucking specialist serving food and pharmaceutical customers with a fleet of ~1,200 trucks. Comparable to Smith Trucking in dedicated refrigerated service model and customer concentration in food shippers.
• Stevens Transport: Large family-influenced refrigerated carrier with similar driver-friendly culture and dedicated lane structure. Comparable to Smith Trucking in vertical focus and relationship-based service model.
• Marten Transport: Public refrigerated and dry van truckload carrier with comparable Midwest operational roots and food-industry customer base. Provides public-market valuation benchmark for Smith Trucking's segment.
• C.R. England: Family-owned refrigerated and dedicated trucking carrier serving major food shippers nationwide. Comparable to Smith Trucking in long-tenured family ownership and dedicated refrigerated service to large food companies.
• Prime Inc. Family-influenced refrigerated and flatbed truckload carrier with similar asset-heavy model and food industry customer focus. Comparable to Smith Trucking in private ownership structure and refrigerated specialization.
• Heartland Express: Public truckload carrier with refrigerated and dry van operations; comparable to Smith Trucking in asset-heavy refrigerated service but operates at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Schneider National: Large multi-segment public carrier with dedicated refrigerated capacity serving the same food shippers as Smith Trucking. Represents the broader competitive context; Smith Trucking competes for lane capacity against Schneider at large shippers.
• Werner Enterprises: Public truckload carrier with dedicated and refrigerated divisions serving food industry customers. Comparable to Smith Trucking in refrigerated service but operates at substantially larger scale across multiple segments.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Large public carrier with dedicated contract services and intermodal capabilities serving food shippers. Represents the scale-incumbent competitive threat for Smith Trucking's major customers.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smithtrucking_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@smithtruckinginc.
• Facebookfacebook.com/smithtruckinginc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smith-trucking
• Instagraminstagram.com/smithtruckinginc

Compliance2 records

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 Smith Trucking