Manito Transit

What Manito Transit does

Manito Transit is a privately held, regional bulk transportation carrier headquartered in Morton, Illinois, operating across 12-13 Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin). The company specializes in the dedicated transport of refined and renewable fuels, lube oil, chemicals, grain, and fertilizer, serving petroleum majors, agricultural cooperatives, and industrial buyers. The legal entity Manito Transit LLC was established in 2019 following a headquarters relocation from Bloomington to Morton; the operating business traces a 75-year heritage in petroleum and bulk hauling distribution.

The operating platform is built around a diversified specialty fleet of approximately 150 tractors supported by hopper bottom grain trailers, end dumps, pressure vessels, and gasoline and diesel tankers. Technology is delivered through third-party fleet management systems (TMW, PeopleNet) plus onboard computers providing real-time ETA tracking, visibility of every fleet unit, and expedited billing. Safety technology includes antilock brake systems, electronic stability/roll stability, and outward-facing driver coaching cameras. CSA scores are reported as well below national averages, and most tractors are three years old or newer. The company joined the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership in 2019 as an environmental and fuel-efficiency credential.

Manito sells dedicated transportation services (assigning a specific truck and driver to a customer site) and on-demand bulk hauling, with multi-year contracts and pricing negotiated on a per-load basis for B2B customers. GTM is enterprise field sales targeting petroleum companies, agricultural businesses, and industrial clients. The current scale includes approximately 45,000 on-time deliveries per year across petroleum, agricultural hauling, commercial, and industrial lubricant segments. Notable customers include Marathon Petroleum Corporation, GROWMARK Brokerage, and Conserv FS. Growth has been executed primarily through inorganic means: a 2018 acquisition of Lobdell Transportation, a 2019 acquisition of Baucom Truck Service (propane and anhydrous ammonia), a 2019 merger with Wolff Transports (Wisconsin and Iowa expansion), and the relocation to the I-55/I-74 corridor to consolidate operations near GROWMARK.

Name

Manito Transit

Legal name

Manito Transit LLC

Website

https://manitotransit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manito Transit is a regional bulk trucking carrier based in Morton, Illinois, providing dedicated transportation of refined fuels, agricultural products, chemicals, and industrial lubricants across 12-13 Midwestern states using a fleet of approximately 150 specialty tractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Transportation Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Dry Bulk (Hopper/Pneumatic) TL Carriers (TLADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Livestock & Agricultural Commodity TL Carriers (TLADADAK)

Keywords

• Bulk transportation services
• Petroleum hauling
• Agricultural freight
• Liquid bulk transport
• Tanker trucking

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bulk Transportation Services: Manito Transit generates revenue through dedicated transportation of refined and renewable fuels, lube oil, chemicals, grain, and fertilizer. Pricing is based on per-delivery/load basis for B2B customers requiring bulk transport services across their 12-13 state service area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Manito Transit is a B2B bulk transportation carrier specializing in the safe, dedicated transport of refined and renewable fuels, lube oil, chemicals, grain, and fertilizer across 12-13 Midwestern states. The company operates a fleet of nearly 150 trucks from its Morton, Illinois headquarters, offering dedicated truck-and-driver assignments, on-demand hauling, and 24/7 dispatch coverage for petroleum, agricultural, commercial, and industrial customers.

Product overview

Manito Transit is a bulk transportation trucking company offering a unified service model centered on safe, dedicated transport of refined and renewable fuels, lube oil, chemicals, grain, and fertilizer. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform architecture, combining petroleum transportation, agricultural hauling, commercial warehousing transport, and industrial lubricants delivery. These core hauling services are supported by operational features including dedicated truck/driver assignments, real-time fleet tracking via onboard computers, and customized routing solutions—all unified under the company's 'Perfect Service' model with 24/7 dispatch coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Petroleum Transportation Dedicated transportation of refined fuels, biodiesel, ethanol, fuel oil, and renewable fuels for petroleum companies and fuel distributors, supported by a team of drivers and dispatchers available 7 days a week for order processing and delivery.
• Agricultural Hauling Bulk transportation of grain, dry and liquid fertilizer, and agricultural chemicals for farming operations and agricultural cooperatives, with specialized knowledge of agricultural markets and seasonal demand cycles.
• Commercial Transportation Transportation of warehoused products providing commercial businesses with supplies needed to maintain operations and competitive inventory flow.
• Industrial Lubricants Transport Supply chain transportation of lubricants for commercial and industrial applications, ensuring proper handling and on-time delivery to support continuous manufacturing operations.
• Dedicated Services Dedicated truck-and-driver assignment to a customer's specific area of need, allowing customers the flexibility to change loads and meet their business requirements, available across the Midwest service area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000 on-time deliveries per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Truckers AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership providing access to trucking industry resources, standards, and networking opportunities.
• Illinois Hires Heroes ConsortiumminorOthersWorkforce development initiative helping veterans transition to careers in the trucking industry.
• Mid-West Truckers AssociationminorOthersRegional trucking association providing advocacy, compliance resources, and networking for trucking companies in the Midwest.
• National Tank Truck CarriersminorOthersTrade association representing tank truck carriers, providing industry advocacy, safety resources, and best practices for bulk liquid transportation.
• SmartWay Transport PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA partnership for tracking and reducing emissions and fuel use from goods movement. Contributes to environmental savings of 170.3 million barrels of oil, $24.9 billion in fuel costs, 72.8MMT of carbon dioxide, demonstrating environmental leadership.
• Technology Maintenance CouncilminorOthersTechnical standards body under American Trucking Associations focused on truck maintenance standards and best practices.
• GROWMARKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and agricultural cooperative based in Bloomington, IL. Manito Transit is part of the GROWMARK system and relocated headquarters near GROWMARK's Morton facility for improved efficiency. GROWMARK is both a major customer and strategic partner.
• Wolff TransportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerger partner expanding service footprint to La Crosse and Madison Wisconsin, Cedar Rapids Iowa, and Litchfield Illinois. Completed expansion enabled better service to current customers and increased business opportunities in larger geographical market.
• Lobdell TransportationminorOthersFamily-owned trucking company based in Lena, Illinois acquired by Manito Transit. Acquisition included 21 tractor units, 22 fuel tankers, 8 pressure vessels, and a two-bay maintenance shop. Previous owner Patricia Lobdell joined Manito Transit as Senior Manager of Operations and Safety.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Schneider National: Large multi-modal carrier (truckload, intermodal, logistics) with bulk and specialized capabilities as part of a broader portfolio. Overlaps with Manito in dedicated and bulk transportation but operates at materially larger scale across many more verticals.
• Heartland Express: Public truckload carrier with general freight and asset-light operations across the Midwest and nationwide. Comparable geography and asset-based trucking model though broader and less specialized than Manito.

Direct peers

• Ruan Transportation: Dedicated contract carrier serving bulk and industrial customers with custom supply chain solutions. Comparable dedicated-truck-and-driver model and vertical market coverage in ag and industrial inputs.
• Trimac Transportation: Provides bulk trucking services for chemicals, petroleum and food-grade products across North America with extensive terminal network. Comparable business model to Manito's multi-commodity bulk hauling across dedicated and spot lanes.
• Kenan Advantage Group: North America's largest tank truck carrier transporting bulk liquids and gases including refined fuels, chemicals and food-grade products. Most directly comparable to Manito Transit's dedicated liquid bulk petroleum and chemical operations across multi-state lanes.
• Heniff Transportation: Specialized bulk liquid carrier focused on chemicals, petroleum and agricultural inputs with nationwide terminal and fleet infrastructure. Highly comparable to Manito's chemical, propane and refined fuels book.
• Bay & Bay Transportation: Bulk liquid carrier serving petroleum, chemical and food-grade customers with a Midwest U.S. operating footprint. Direct regional peer with overlapping commodity mix and customer types.
• Transport Service Co. Bulk liquid and chemical tank truck carrier with multi-state operations serving refineries, chemical producers and ag customers. Comparable commodity mix and dedicated contract orientation.
• Quality Distribution: Operates the Boasso Global network providing ISO tank container, bulk liquid and chemical transportation services with a North American footprint. Closely comparable to Manito's chemical and refined product bulk transport model.
• Groendyke Transport: Bulk liquid carrier specializing in petroleum, chemicals and specialty products with terminals across the Midwest and South. Directly comparable to Manito's refined fuel, lube oil and chemical hauling book of business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manito-transit-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Manito Transit