Clark Freight Lines

What Clark Freight Lines does

Clark Freight Lines Inc. is a Texas-based, privately held, driver-owned asset-based trucking and logistics company that traces its operations to predecessor companies founded in 1963 and was reorganized under the current name in 1987. Headquartered in Pasadena, Texas (a Houston suburb), the company operates across 49 US states and Canada through a network of regional terminals in Pasadena TX, Dallas TX, Birmingham AL, Osceola AR, and Eddyville KY, supplemented by corporate offices in Haslet TX and Hueytown AL. It provides a diversified portfolio of transportation services including dry van, flatbed, intermodal, hazardous materials, customs bonded, ISO tank, specialized freight, import/export drayage, and freight brokerage, serving enterprise and mid-market customers in verticals such as import/export trade, scrap and recycling, and general manufacturing/industrial.

The company's underlying technology stack is limited to commodity fleet management tooling — GeoTab Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) for hours-of-service compliance and vehicle tracking, and ComData fuel cards for driver expense and fuel management — with no proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, or customer-facing digital platform disclosed. Driver compensation is structured as percentage-based revenue sharing: company drivers earn 30% of load revenue (average gross $500-$2,000/week) and owner operators earn 70-75% (average gross $1,500-$4,000/week), with weekly settlements and sign-on/referral bonuses used as recruiting tools. Customer pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Clark's go-to-market is sales-led under Director of Sales Frank Files, with a direct enterprise field-sales model anchored in physical terminal presence and online quote-request forms. The company has remained private and driver-owned since 1989, with the Schnautz family holding the President (Danny Schnautz) and Vice President (David Schnautz) positions. Notable credentials include customs bonded carrier status, CTPAT certification, FMCSA registration, and EPA SmartWay affiliation, which collectively support its import/export drayage and hazmat positioning. The company reports 5 million safe intercity miles driven and cites multiple customer relationships exceeding 10 years and multiple driver tenures of 25-30+ years as evidence of operational stability.

Name

Clark Freight Lines

Legal name

Clark Freight Lines Inc.

Website

https://clarkfreight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clark Freight Lines is a Texas-based, driver-owned asset-based trucking and logistics company operating across 49 US states and Canada via five regional terminals, offering dry van, flatbed, intermodal, hazmat, customs bonded, ISO tank, and brokerage services to enterprise import/export, industrial, and recycling customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trucking and Freight Transportation Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842)

SIC

Trucking (No Local) (4213), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Truckload (TL) Freight Brokerage (TLADAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bulk & Tanker Road Freight Forwarding (Dry Bulk, Liquids, Chemicals) (TLACACAL)

Keywords

• Trucking services
• Freight transportation
• Intermodal logistics
• Dry van shipping
• Flatbed trucking

Headquarters

HQ city

Texas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trucking and Freight Services: Asset-based transportation services including intermodal, dry van, flatbed, and specialized freight hauling. Revenue generated through freight transportation fees charged to customers for hauling cargo across the United States and Canada.
2. Broker Services: Brokerage services facilitating freight transportation for customers who require additional capacity beyond company-owned assets.
3. Driver Compensation (Company Drivers): Company driver compensation model where drivers earn 30% of load revenue for Local/Regional/OTR routes. Average gross earnings of $500-$2,000/week depending on experience and work level.
4. Owner Operator Leasing: Owner operator arrangement with 70% revenue share for local work and 75% for regional and OTR. Average gross earnings of $1,500-$4,000/week. Company provides weekly settlements, fuel surcharge, and various insurance options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clark Freight Lines is an asset-based trucking and logistics company that hauls freight across the United States and Canada using company drivers and owner operators. Its service portfolio spans intermodal container transport, dry van, flatbed, hazardous materials, customs bonded carrier, ISO tank, specialized freight, and broker services, supported by regional terminals in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky. The company also recruits and pays drivers on a percentage-of-load-revenue model.

Product overview

Clark Freight Lines is a trucking and logistics company offering a diversified portfolio of transportation services. The core offering includes multiple truckload service types (Dry Van, Flatbed, Specialized), intermodal container transport, hazardous material handling, customs bonded carrier services, ISO tank transport, and broker services. The company operates an asset-based fleet serving import/export drayage needs, with terminals located in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, and Kentucky. Services are delivered through both company drivers and owner-operators, with geographic coverage across 49 states and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 million safe intercity miles driven
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Safety Council (NSC)minorOthersProfessional affiliation with NSC for safety standards and best practices. One of many professional organizational affiliations listed on safety page.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreOthersCBP partnership for customs bonded carrier services. Enables Clark to handle import/export cargo requiring customs clearance.
• Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT)coreOthersCTPAT certification indicating participation in supply chain security program for enhanced security measures.
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA)minorOthersAffiliation with CVSA for commercial vehicle safety standards and inspections.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)coreOthersFMCSA affiliation for regulatory compliance. FMCSA governs commercial trucking regulations and safety standards.
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)minorOthersAffiliation for hazardous materials transportation compliance and safety standards.
• Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)minorOthersAffiliation with IANA for intermodal transportation industry standards and networking.
• EPA SmartWayminorOthersSmartWay partnership for environmental sustainability and fuel efficiency in freight transportation.
• Houston Livestock Show and RodeominorOthersCommunity partnership with Houston Rodeo for local community involvement and charitable giving.
• Pasadena Livestock and RodeominorOthersLocal community partnership with Pasadena Rodeo organization.
• DARE InternationalminorOthersDrug Abuse Resistance Education partnership supporting youth education programs.
• Blue Santa HoustonminorOthersHoliday charity partnership providing assistance to Houston-area families in need.
• Rotary ClubminorOthersLocal Rotary Club partnership for community service and networking.
• Books for the WorldminorOthersCharitable partnership providing books and educational resources globally.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• TFI International: Canadian-based multi-modal transportation and logistics company with TL, LTL, dedicated, intermodal, and logistics services across North America. Comparable to Clark as a multi-state, multi-modal carrier with intermodal and drayage offerings serving similar enterprise customers.
• Knight-Swift Transportation: One of the largest US truckload carriers formed via Knight and Swift mergers, offering TL, LTL, intermodal, and logistics. Comparable to Clark across general freight, specialized, and intermodal services, but with vastly greater fleet size and geographic coverage.
• Schneider National: One of the largest US truckload carriers with broad intermodal and logistics offerings. Comparable to Clark as a diversified asset-based truckload and intermodal operator serving enterprise customers across 49 states.
• Werner Enterprises: Large US truckload carrier with dedicated, one-way, and logistics services including Mexico cross-border. Comparable to Clark in TL, dedicated, and broker offerings, and in maintaining multi-state terminal operations.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services: Major US truckload, intermodal, and dedicated contract carrier with a strong asset-based model. Comparable to Clark across intermodal, dry van, and specialized freight offerings, though at substantially larger scale.
• U.S. Xpress Enterprises: Large US truckload carrier offering flatbed, dry van, dedicated, and brokerage services. Comparable to Clark across asset-based truckload with a mix of services including broker and specialized offerings.

Direct peers

• Anderson Trucking Service: Mid-sized US trucking and logistics provider with flatbed, heavy-haul, specialized, and logistics services. Comparable to Clark as a privately held, regionally anchored multi-service truckload carrier serving specialized freight niches.
• Heartland Express: Regional and long-haul dry van truckload carrier with similar asset-based OTR focus and similar customer base. Comparable to Clark as a private/smaller public TL carrier serving enterprise customers across the US.
• Landstar System: Asset-light truckload broker leveraging owner-operators and agent network. Comparable to Clark in its heavy use of owner-operator arrangements (Clark's 70-75% model) and broker services layer.
• Hub Group: Asset-light intermodal and logistics services company with dedicated, brokerage, and trucking operations. Comparable to Clark across intermodal drayage, customs bonded services, and asset-based container handling at port and rail ramps.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clarkfreight
• Facebookfacebook.com/clarkfreightlines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clark-freight-lines

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Clark Freight Lines