What Dohrn Transfer Company does

Dohrn Transfer Company is a private regional Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight transportation carrier founded in 1921 and headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois. The company provides LTL, truckload, and value-added transportation services across six complete-coverage Midwest states (Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin) with partial coverage in Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and South Dakota, plus extended reach to the Mid-Atlantic, New England, California (via Premier California Link Partners), and Canada (via Canada Link Partners). Dohrn operates approximately 5,000 shipments per day and employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people.

The company's core product portfolio centers on standard LTL shipping augmented by specialized equipment-dependent services: Liftgate delivery (claiming the largest liftgate fleet in the Midwest), Heat Track freeze protection (1,500+ heated trailers, industry-leading 0.0002% claims ratio), Dedicated Fleet management, Crossdock & Consolidation, Warehouse services, and the recently launched DohrnDash no-signature contactless delivery. Technology is integrated throughout operations through a Carrier Logistics-powered customer portal, a comprehensive XML API suite (Shipment Trace, Alerts, Rate Query, Transit Time, NMFTA eBOL), full EDI 4010 transaction set support, Electronic Delivery Receipts (EDR), and Electronic Bill of Lading (eBOL).

Dohrn operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market with dedicated Account Executives managing customer relationships; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue generated per-shipment via transaction fees for freight, warehouse, and dedicated fleet services. The customer base spans manufacturing, distribution, and logistics companies requiring specialized LTL capabilities — particularly liftgate-equipped deliveries, freeze protection, and residential no-signature drops — with horizontal segmentation across B2B shippers rather than vertical concentration.

Name

Dohrn Transfer Company

Legal name

Dohrn Transfer Company

Website

https://dohrn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Dohrn Transfer Company is a private regional Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight carrier, founded 1921 and headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois, serving Midwest shippers with specialized liftgate, freeze-protected, and dedicated fleet services via a technology-enabled operations platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LTL Freight Transportation

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pool Distribution / Multi-Stop LTL Carriers (TLADAEAF), Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers (TLADADAA)

Keywords

• LTL freight transportation
• Truckload shipping services
• Liftgate delivery service
• Freeze protection shipping
• Dedicated fleet management

Headquarters

HQ city

Rock Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 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. LTL Freight Transportation Services: Core revenue from less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services including standard shipping, specialized services (liftgate, heat track, residential delivery), and dedicated fleet management. Pricing based on shipment weight, dimensions, freight class, and accessorial services.
2. Warehouse and Logistics Services: Revenue from crossdock, consolidation, and warehouse services supporting LTL operations.
3. Dedicated Fleet Management: Custom transportation solutions where Dohrn manages dedicated fleets for customer companies, including driver staffing and equipment management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Dohrn Transfer Company is a regional less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carrier offering standard LTL shipping across complete-state coverage in IL, IA, IN, MO, NE, WI plus partial coverage in KS, KY, MN, SD. Specialized offerings include liftgate delivery (largest Midwest fleet), Heat Track freeze protection (1,500+ heated trailers), dedicated fleet management, warehouse and crossdock/consolidation services, no-signature residential delivery (DohrnDash), and partner-enabled coverage to California and Canada. Operations are enabled by technology including XML APIs, EDI integration, Electronic Delivery Receipts, and Electronic Bills of Lading.

Product overview

Dohrn Transfer Company operates as a regional Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) carrier headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois, offering a comprehensive transportation solution combining core shipping services with technology-driven capabilities. The core product portfolio includes standard LTL shipping across complete-state coverage in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin with partial coverage in additional Midwest states. Specialized services include Liftgate (largest fleet in the Midwest), Heat Track (freeze protection), Dedicated Fleet, Crossdock & Consolidation, Warehouse, and regional extensions to California and Canada via partner networks. Technology offerings are integrated throughout via EDI and XML APIs enabling external tracking, shipment tracing, rate queries, and transit time calculations, plus Electronic Delivery Receipts (EDR) and Electronic Bill of Lading (eBOL). The DohrnDash no-signature delivery option and dedicated express lanes (Kansas City-Indianapolis) represent recent service expansions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DohrnDash: No signature delivery service allowing contactless delivery without requiring a signature from consignee.
• Heat Track

Products and services

• Shipping Services (LTL Freight Transportation) Core Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight transportation services covering complete-state operations across six Midwest states with standard pickup, transit, and delivery services.
• Liftgate Service Liftgate-equipped LTL delivery service for shippers and consignees without loading docks or assistance; delivered within standard transit times using Dohrn's largest-in-Midwest liftgate fleet.
• Heat Track (Protect From Freezing) Temperature-protection LTL service for freezable shipments running October 1 to April 30, using heated trailers, blankets, portable heaters, and warm storage; backed by a 0.0002% claims ratio and up to $5.00/pound (max $5,000/shipment) frozen-damage protection.
• Dedicated Fleet Custom dedicated fleet management where Dohrn supplies drivers, equipment, and backup coverage for a single customer, addressing driver shortages, maintenance costs, DOT compliance, and hours-of-service rules.
• Warehouse Services Warehouse storage and handling services that support Dohrn's freight network and customers' supply chain operations.
• Crossdock & Consolidation Cross-docking and freight consolidation services that optimize freight handling and reduce transit times for LTL shippers.
• DohrnDash (No Signature Delivery) No-signature contactless delivery service with photo confirmation for residential and low-staffed consignee locations; offered at no additional cost beyond standard fees.
• California Shipping LTL coverage from Dohrn's Midwest network to California delivered through Premier California Link Partners, with end-to-end OnePRO shipment visibility.
• Canadian Shipping LTL coverage to and from Canada through Canada Link partners, including customs documentation support such as Bill of Lading, Canada Customs Invoice, and NAFTA Certificate of Origin.
• Kansas City to Indianapolis Express Lane Next-day LTL express lane service between Kansas City and Indianapolis offering less handling and faster transit times than standard LTL transit on this corridor.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Canada Link PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership enables Dohrn's Midwest customer base to seamlessly ship to and from Canada. Canada Link partners provide full coverage to Canada through coordinated logistics operations.
• Premier California Link PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership provides coverage to California enabling Midwest customer base to seamlessly ship to California. Partners provide OnePRO 100% visibility from start to finish.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Estes Express Lines: Large private regional LTL carrier with a comparable Midwest/East Coast operating footprint and a similar mix of general freight plus specialized services. Closest match to Dohrn by company type (private), regional density focus, and specialty equipment fleets.
• R+L Carriers: Private asset-based LTL and truckload carrier with a comparable mix of regional LTL plus dedicated truckload and warehousing services. Overlaps with Dohrn in Midwest lanes and on dedicated fleet offering.
• Dayton Freight Lines: Private regional LTL carrier operating across the Midwest with a similar company profile, employee scale, and specialized-service emphasis. Directly comparable as a family-owned/private Midwestern LTL of similar size.
• Saia Inc. Public LTL carrier with comparable regional density model and similar revenue scale to Dohrn. Competes head-to-head in Midwest LTL lanes and represents the closest public-market comparable for valuation.
• Southeastern Freight Lines: Private regional LTL carrier with comparable ownership structure, employee scale, and regional operating model. Differs geographically (Southeast) but matches Dohrn on business model, technology investment, and mid-sized private positioning.
• Averitt Express: Asset-based transportation provider combining LTL, truckload, and dedicated services with similar value-added offerings (liftgate, expedited, logistics). Competes with Dohrn across Midwest and Southeast lanes.
• ABF Freight (ArcBest LTL segment): Direct LTL competitor within ArcBest with comparable terminal-based Midwest network and similar general-freight plus specialized services. Provides a transparent public-market benchmark for regional LTL economics.

Broad incumbents

• XPO Inc. Major national LTL operator with significant Midwest terminal density following the Yellow/Con-way integrations. Competes with Dohrn on multi-region RFPs where shippers require national coverage.
• ArcBest Corporation: Public LTL operator (ABF Freight) plus asset-light logistics. LTL segment competes directly with Dohrn in Midwest lanes; asset-light segment competes for some of the same crossdock/warehousing business.
• Old Dominion Freight Line: Largest U.S. LTL carrier and the industry benchmark for service quality and margins. Competes with Dohrn across Midwest lanes but operates at national scale with substantially deeper lane density and broader terminal network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DohrnTransfer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Dohrn Transfer Company