Carter Express, Inc.
Carter LOGISTEED is an asset-based North American logistics provider serving automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers — and to a lesser extent commercial equipment and consumer goods companies — with a fleet of 405 tractors and 1,125 trailers, cross-dock operations, dedicated transportation, Mexico cross-border service, and broader supply chain management across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersAnderson, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Carter Express, Inc. does
Carter Express, Inc., operating under the Carter LOGISTEED brand, is a privately held, asset-based North American logistics provider founded in 1982 and headquartered in Anderson, Indiana. The company operates a fleet of 405 tractors and 1,125 trailers under the Carter LOGISTEED Express line and runs cross-dock facilities that process roughly 3.0 million pounds of freight daily. Its Carter LOGISTEED Logistics line layers non-asset capabilities including consolidation/milkrun, dedicated transportation, supply chain management, Mexico cross-border transportation, in-plant logistics, reporting and analytics, and tailored logistics solutions.
Carter's go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers as the primary vertical, with secondary focus on commercial equipment manufacturers and consumer goods companies operating across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Pricing is quote-based and customized per customer rather than publicly disclosed, consistent with a dedicated/contract logistics mix rather than spot brokerage. The technology backbone is the third-party MercuryGate TMS platform, which underpins a customer-facing portal for shipment visibility, reporting, and analysis. In 2023 the company reported an average customer savings figure of $406K, used in marketing to anchor ROI messaging for automotive supply chain programs.
The business is owner-led under President John Paugh and shows signs of a recent corporate-identity shift: the firm rebranded from Carter Logistics to Carter LOGISTEED, with associated sub-brands Carter LOGISTEED Logistics and Carter LOGISTEED Express, and operates under a parent-aligned domain (carter.logisteed.com), indicating affiliation or ownership by Japan's Logisteed group. Customer concentration is largely undisclosed but skewed to the automotive sector, with adjacencies in commercial equipment and consumer goods.
Carter Express, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carter Express, Inc.
- Legal name
- Carter Logistics
- Website
- https://carter-express.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Carter LOGISTEED is an asset-based North American logistics provider serving automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers — and to a lesser extent commercial equipment and consumer goods companies — with a fleet of 405 tractors and 1,125 trailers, cross-dock operations, dedicated transportation, Mexico cross-border service, and broader supply chain management across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carter Express, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Logistics Services
- NAICS
- General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412)
- SIC
- Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Trucking (No Local) (4213), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pool Distribution / Multi-Stop LTL Carriers (TLADAEAF), Cross-Border LTL (US-MX/US-CA) (TLADAEAI), Intermodal Drayage & Cartage (First/Last Mile) (TLADAFAC), Drayage & Intermodal Dispatch Management (TLAIAEAG)
Keywords
Where Carter Express, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anderson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Carter Express, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Carter Express, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carter Express is an asset-based logistics and transportation services provider that moves freight using its own fleet of tractors and trailers and operates crossdock facilities. It sells dedicated transportation, consolidation/milkrun, in-plant logistics, supply chain management, cross-border Mexico transportation, crossdock operations, and reporting/analytics services to enterprise shippers.
Product overview
Carter LOGISTEED operates as an integrated logistics platform combining Carter LOGISTEED Express (asset-based freight transportation with 405 tractors and 1,125 trailers) and Carter LOGISTEED Logistics (non-asset logistics solutions). The portfolio includes service modules for consolidation/milkrun, dedicated transportation, supply chain management, Mexico cross-border transportation, reporting and analysis, in-plant logistics, and logistics solutions. The company serves automotive OEMs and suppliers, commercial equipment, and consumer goods markets, processing 3.0 million pounds through crossdock operations daily with average customer savings of $406K in 2023.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Consolidation/Milkrun Consolidation and milkrun routing service that combines smaller freight loads from multiple suppliers into consolidated trucks running repeated, scheduled loops for high-volume customers. Targeted at enterprise shippers with recurring, multi-stop pickup patterns.
- Dedicated Transportation Dedicated contracted fleet service in which Carter Express assigns tractors and trailers exclusively to a single customer's freight network. Designed for enterprise shippers needing guaranteed capacity and embedded service.
- Supply Chain Management Outsourced supply chain management service covering planning, coordination, and execution of freight and logistics operations on behalf of enterprise customers. Intended for shippers seeking a single accountable partner for end-to-end logistics.
- Mexico Transportation Cross-border transportation service providing freight movement between the United States and Mexico for enterprise shippers. Targeted at manufacturers with North American cross-border supply chains, including automotive OEMs and consumer goods companies.
- Reporting & Analysis Logistics reporting and analytics service that delivers shipment visibility, KPI tracking, and performance insights to enterprise customers. Powered by the MercuryGate TMS and customer logistics portal.
- In-Plant Logistics Embedded on-site logistics service in which Carter Express personnel and resources operate inside a customer's facility to manage material flow, staging, and loading operations. Aimed at manufacturers needing integrated plant-floor logistics support.
- Logistics Solutions Custom logistics solutions service combining dedicated transportation, consolidation, in-plant, and supply chain capabilities into tailored programs for enterprise customers in automotive, commercial equipment, and consumer goods verticals.
- Crossdock Operations Crossdock service in which freight is received, sorted, and reloaded for outbound shipment, processing approximately 3.0 million pounds of freight daily. Designed to support high-volume, time-sensitive distribution networks for enterprise shippers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average savings of $406K per customer in 2023
Companies that use Carter Express, Inc.
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Carter Express, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Carter Express, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Carter Express, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Penske Logistics: Penske Logistics is one of the largest dedicated transportation and supply chain providers in North America with a strong automotive vertical and owned fleet, making it a close comparable on services, customer mix, and asset model.
- Werner Enterprises: Werner operates a large tractor-trailer fleet providing dedicated transportation and logistics services to automotive and consumer goods customers, comparable in asset intensity and service breadth.
- Ryder System: Ryder's dedicated transportation solutions and supply chain management business serve automotive and industrial OEMs with owned fleet capacity, making it a direct comparable on dedicated/drayage services.
- Hub Group: Hub Group operates an asset-based intermodal, dedicated, and logistics services platform with cross-border Mexico exposure, closely comparable to Carter's mix of asset-based trucking and cross-dock operations.
- J.B. Hunt Transport Services: J.B. Hunt's ICS (Integrated Capacity Solutions) and Dedicated Contract Services divisions offer a comparable blend of asset-based capacity, cross-dock, and managed transportation for large shippers.
- Knight-Swift Transportation: Knight-Swift's asset-based trucking and logistics segment competes in dedicated, long-haul, and cross-border lanes for industrial shippers, similar in asset-heavy operating model and customer type.
- Schneider National: Schneider's dedicated, intermodal, and logistics segments serve automotive and consumer goods customers with similar asset-heavy services and supply chain integration, comparable in customer mix and operational scope.
- NFI Industries: NFI is a privately held, asset-based 3PL offering dedicated transportation, warehousing, and cross-docking with similar size and vertical exposure (including consumer goods), closely mirroring Carter's integrated operating model.
Broad incumbents
- DHL Supply Chain (North America): DHL Supply Chain is a global 3PL incumbent with deep automotive OEM relationships and cross-border Mexico capabilities; comparable in service portfolio, though significantly larger and more diversified than Carter.
Emerging players
- RXO: RXO is a tech-enabled freight brokerage spin-off from XPO competing in managed transportation and truckload; partial overlap with Carter's logistics solutions and consolidation services for large shippers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Carter Express, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceCarter Express, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carter Express, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Carter Express, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carter Express, Inc. 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 Carter Express, Inc.
What does Carter Express, Inc. do?
Carter Express is an asset-based logistics and transportation services provider that moves freight using its own fleet of tractors and trailers and operates crossdock facilities. It sells dedicated transportation, consolidation/milkrun, in-plant logistics, supply chain management, cross-border Mexico transportation, crossdock operations, and reporting/analytics services to enterprise shippers.
Is Carter Express, Inc. a public or private company?
Carter Express, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carter Express, Inc. founded?
Carter Express, Inc. was founded in 1982. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Carter Express, Inc. based?
Carter Express, Inc. is headquartered in Anderson, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Carter Express, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Penske Logistics, Werner Enterprises, Ryder System, Hub Group, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Knight-Swift Transportation, Schneider National and NFI Industries. DHL Supply Chain (North America) is listed as a broad incumbent. RXO is listed as an emerging player.
Does Carter Express, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carter Express, Inc..
What industry is Carter Express, Inc. in?
Carter Express, Inc.'s product category is Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAEAA, National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers, with a secondary code of TLADAEAF, Pool Distribution / Multi-Stop LTL Carriers. Its NAICS code is 48412 and its SIC code is 4210.