What Air Van does

Air Van, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned third-party logistics provider headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 1957 and tracing its roots to the 1934 Benton Bros Film Express, the company operates over 800,000 square feet of mixed warehouse space across multiple Jacksonville facilities, including rail-siding and temperature-controlled storage acquired through the 2024 Imeson Distribution Center purchase. Its service portfolio spans warehousing and distribution, asset-based trucking and drayage, freight brokerage, customs bonded storage, transloading and cross-docking, final mile delivery, and a newly launched packaging and kitting division (May 2026).

The company serves a diverse customer base including international and domestic freight forwarders, importers and exporters, heavy industry and manufacturing clients (steel, lumber, paper), and e-commerce and retail brands. Named enterprise customers include Expeditors and Total Quality Logistics (TQL), both of which awarded Air Van 2024 service provider honors. The company employs a sales-led go-to-market motion with direct account management and EDI-capable customer portal access, supported by the Descartes Aljex transportation management system for internal freight operations.

Air Van's revenue model combines recurring warehousing and storage income with transactional fees for trucking, brokerage, final mile, and transloading services, plus managed services tied to customs bonded operations. Operationally, the company more than doubled in size through two 2024 acquisitions (G&C Cartage in February and Imeson Distribution Center in September), was recognized on the Jacksonville Business Journal 2025 Fast 50 list for revenue growth from 2022 to 2024, and received the 2025 Florida Trucking Association Fleet Safety Award. The acquisition-driven scale-up, combined with several senior leadership additions and a new division launch in 2026, points to active post-acquisition integration and continued expansion under President and CEO Ike Sherlock and owner Chip Matthews.

Name

Air Van

Legal name

Air Van, Inc.

Website

https://airvaninc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Air Van is a Jacksonville, Florida-based third-party logistics provider offering warehousing, trucking, freight brokerage, customs bonded facilities, final mile delivery, transloading, and packaging services to freight forwarders, shippers, and enterprise customers across the Southeast United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Warehousing and Storage Services: Revenue from warehouse space rental, distribution, short and long-term storage solutions. Over 800,000 square feet of mixed storage availability across multiple facilities in Jacksonville.
2. Freight Brokerage: Transportation brokerage operations connecting customers with reliable capacity through carrier partnerships. In-house brokerage volume increased through acquisition synergies.
3. Trucking and Drayage: Asset-based trucking services including local pick-up and delivery, LTL, truckload, drayage, and regional transportation services. Company-owned equipment.
4. Customs Bonded Facility Services: Customs bonded warehouse services including agricultural inspections, customs inspections, and secure storage for goods awaiting clearance or regulatory approvals.
5. Final Mile Delivery: First and final mile delivery services - a costly and problematic challenge for many businesses, delivered cost-effectively with strategic and systematic approach.
6. Packaging and Kitting Services: Value-added services including customized assembly, packaging, labeling, rework, promotional kitting, subscription box preparation, and retail-ready packaging.
7. Transloading and Cross-Docking: Transloading and cross-docking services for efficient cargo handling and distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Air Van, Inc. is a Jacksonville-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider that delivers integrated supply chain solutions including warehousing and distribution (over 800,000 sq ft), asset-based trucking and drayage, freight brokerage, customs bonded storage and CFS services, final mile delivery, transloading and cross-docking, food and grocery logistics, and a packaging and kitting division. Services are sold directly to freight forwarders, shippers, importers/exporters, heavy-industry manufacturers, and e-commerce/retail brands requiring reliable transportation and storage.

Product overview

Air Van Inc. (AVI) is a Jacksonville, Florida-based third-party logistics provider offering a comprehensive suite of logistics services. The company operates as a unified platform of interconnected services rather than discrete products, including warehousing and distribution, trucking and drayage, freight brokerage, customs bonded facilities, final mile delivery, transloading and cross-docking, and a newly launched packaging and kitting division. With over 800,000 square feet of warehouse space across multiple facilities, AVI serves domestic and international freight forwarders and shippers across the Southeast region. The company utilizes Descartes Aljex transportation management system for internal freight operations and EDI capabilities for customer communications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Warehousing and Distribution
• Trucking
• Brokerage
• Customs Bonded Facility
• First / Final Mile Delivery
• Transloading and Cross-Docking
• Food & Grocery Products Logistics
• Packaging & Kitting Services
• Client Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero clients lost during Imeson Distribution Center acquisition integration
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Descartes provides the Aljex transportation management system to Air Van (AVI). The cloud-based platform enhances AVI's freight operations through improved order entry, lane rate comparison, load management, carrier onboarding, dispatching, tracking visibility, and workflow automation. The solution is used by a growing network of freight brokers and 3PLs.
• Imeson Distribution Center, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Acquisition completed September 2024 adding over 700,000 sq ft of warehousing space, rail-siding capabilities, temperature-controlled storage, and a client base built on steel, lumber, and paper products. The acquisition tripled Air Van's payroll overnight and added capabilities Air Van could not offer before.
• G&C Cartage Co., Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2024Acquisition completed February 2024 adding over 35,000 square feet of mixed warehousing and broadened AVI's commercial offerings, especially in import and domestic logistics. G&C was a family-owned provider with warehousing and transportation services including a Jacksonville facility.
• AWI Network (Associated Warehouses Inc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir Van is a member of the Associated Warehouses (AWI) Network, a national organization of distribution and fulfillment 3PL partners. AWI connects manufacturers with vetted 3PL partners who have the depth and culture to grow with their business. The service is free for manufacturers.
• Cushman & WakefieldminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommercial real estate services firm that worked with Air Van and the landlord to negotiate long-term lease renewals for the Imeson Distribution Center locations at 550 Gun Club Road and 555 Zoo Parkway.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• NFI Industries: Family-owned, asset-based 3PL offering dedicated trucking, warehousing, brokerage, and final mile services across North America. Highly comparable to Air Van in business model (asset-based + brokerage mix) and ownership profile (private/family).
• ArcBest: Asset-based logistics provider combining LTL freight (ABF Freight) with truckload brokerage and warehousing. Comparable to Air Van in offering a multi-modal service suite to shippers, though at significantly larger scale.
• Landstar System: Asset-light transportation services company providing truckload, LTL, and freight brokerage through an agent-based owner-operator model. Comparable to Air Van's brokerage and trucking service lines.
• Estes Express Lines: Privately held LTL freight carrier offering regional and national less-than-truckload service with warehousing and logistics solutions. Directly comparable to Air Van in being private, asset-based, and offering integrated LTL plus logistics.

Regional players

• Saia Inc. LTL carrier with strong Southeastern US concentration and growing less-than-truckload operations. Overlaps with Air Van's LTL trucking service and Southeast geographic focus.
• Southeastern Freight Lines: Privately held regional LTL carrier serving the Southeastern US with extensive next-day and second-day coverage. Comparable to Air Van in geographic focus (Southeast) and asset-based LTL operations, though specialized in LTL.

Broad incumbents

• C.H. Robinson: Largest North American freight broker with $17B+ in revenue, offering truckload, LTL, intermodal, and supply chain services across global markets. Comparable to Air Van in brokerage service line but operates at vastly larger scale.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Diversified transportation and logistics company offering intermodal, dedicated trucking, brokerage, and final mile services. Overlaps with Air Van in trucking, brokerage, and final mile service lines.
• GXO Logistics: Largest pure-play contract logistics provider globally, focused on warehousing, distribution, reverse logistics, and value-added services. Comparable to Air Van in warehousing and packaging/kitting service lines but at much larger scale.
• DHL Supply Chain: Global contract logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL offering warehousing, distribution, transportation management, and value-added services. Overlaps with Air Van across warehousing, customs, and distribution capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Air Van