Highroad Consulting

What Highroad Consulting does

Highroad Consulting, Ltd. is a privately held, founder-owned professional services firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Highland, Indiana, in the Chicago metropolitan area. The firm specializes in surface transportation, supply chain, and logistics consulting, serving six primary customer segments: shippers and manufacturers, law firms and litigation support teams, short line (Class II/III) railroads, third-party logistics providers, industrial and economic developers, and retailers and distributors. It generates revenue primarily through fee-for-service project engagements — and some retainer arrangements — with pricing determined per project by scope, consultant seniority, and duration; no public pricing is disclosed and a complimentary one-hour consultation serves as the entry point.

The firm delivers value through a portfolio of five proprietary analytical models. VIEWPOINT™ benchmarks rail rates and produces competitive intelligence; TREE™ (Transportation Rate & Efficiency Evaluation) identifies transportation cost-reduction opportunities; ORBITOR™ optimizes rail and truck fleet sizing; REIDI™ (Regional Economic and Industrial Development Initiative) supports site selection and economic development; and INSIGHT: RailEdition© is a cloud-based rail cost calculation platform — notable as the only non-URCS rail costing model whose outputs have been admitted as evidence before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. These tools are backed by the firm's access to railroad financial data filed with government agencies and a network of more than 30 specialized contract consultants augmenting a small core staff of 11–50 full-time employees.

Commercially, Highroad operates a consultative, sales-led go-to-market model: prospective clients engage via phone, email, or website contact form; engagements begin with a consultation; and the firm differentiates on the regulatory credibility of its expert testimony (a 100% success rate before the STB and in civil court proceedings) and on the founder's Class I railroad leadership background. The firm is led by President & CEO Sandra Dearden (formerly General Manager, Marketing & Sales at Chicago & Northwestern and Union Pacific) and EVP Donald McKay, with no external institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding events across nearly 30 years of continuous operation.

Name

Highroad Consulting

Legal name

Highroad Consulting, Ltd.

Website

https://takehighroad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highroad Consulting, founded in 1996, is a founder-owned surface transportation and logistics consulting firm serving shippers, law firms, short line railroads, economic developers, and retailers through proprietary analytical models and STB-admissible rail cost software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transportation and Logistics Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Supply Chain & Procurement Consulting (BPAHACAC)

Keywords

• Transportation consulting
• Supply chain optimization
• Rail cost analysis
• Logistics consulting
• Litigation support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Highroad Consulting generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements across transportation management, strategic consulting, litigation support, economic development, fleet optimization, and supply chain planning. Projects are tailored to client needs and typically involve senior and mid-level consultant assignments matched to project requirements. The firm also offers retainer arrangements for ongoing client services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Highroad Consulting provides fee-for-service transportation, supply chain, and logistics consulting powered by proprietary analytical models (VIEWPOINT™, TREE™, ORBITOR™, REIDI™) and the cloud-based INSIGHT: RailEdition© rail cost calculation software. Engagements cover rail rate benchmarking, fleet optimization, supply chain planning, expert witness testimony before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, and economic development site selection. Clients include shippers, manufacturers, law firms, short line railroads, third-party logistics providers, retailers, and economic development organizations across North America.

Product overview

Highroad Consulting offers a portfolio of proprietary consulting models and software products focused on surface transportation and logistics optimization. The core analytical products include VIEWPOINT™ for competitive rail rate benchmarking, TREE™ for transportation rate and efficiency evaluation, REIDI™ for regional economic and industrial development, and ORBITOR™ for fleet optimization. The company also provides professional services including Supply Chain Planning, Litigation Support, and Strategic Consulting. Additionally, the company has developed INSIGHT: RailEdition©, a cloud-based rail cost calculation software that is presented as evidence in U.S. Surface Transportation Board proceedings. The products work together to provide comprehensive transportation and logistics consulting from benchmarking and strategy development through implementation and optimization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VIEWPOINT™ Proprietary analytical model for competitive analysis that benchmarks rail rates and provides actionable competitive intelligence for shippers to optimize rail and carrier strategies. Includes rail rate benchmarking, leverage point identification, competitive positioning analysis, and detailed reports with shipment profiles, cost data, and recommended strategies.
• TREE™ (Transportation Rate & Efficiency Evaluation) Transportation management model designed to identify opportunities to streamline operations, improve supply chain efficiency, and reduce costs. Includes transportation efficiency assessments, custom cost-reduction strategies, and consolidation of transportation operations to leverage spending.
• REIDI™ (Regional Economic and Industrial Development Initiative) Economic development model that integrates logistics expertise to identify optimal locations for manufacturing facilities, transload terminals, and warehouses based on integrated logistics. Includes logistics mapping, site selection and development, infrastructure planning, and funding assistance connecting clients to State DOT grants.
• ORBITOR™ Fleet optimization model for rail and truck fleets providing data-driven analysis to optimize fleet size and configuration for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Includes fleet sizing analysis, configuration optimization, and expert consultation.
• INSIGHT: RailEdition©

Quantifiable outcome

• Railroad overcharges identified ranging from $236,000 to $2.6 million in a single year on 100% of benchmarking projects over a six-year period
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)minorOthersHighroad Consulting connects clients to various State DOT grants and funding assistance as part of its REIDI™ economic development service. This is a referral/assistance relationship where the firm helps clients access public funding programs for logistics infrastructure projects. The partnership is incidental to the core consulting engagement rather than a formal alliance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Operations Practice): McKinsey's Operations practice serves large shippers, carriers, and infrastructure investors on supply-chain and transportation strategy. A broad incumbent with overlapping rail and logistics engagements at the enterprise end of the market.
• Deloitte Consulting (Supply Chain & Operations): Deloitte's Supply Chain & Operations practice provides transportation, logistics, and rail advisory to large shippers and carriers. Overlaps with Highroad on transportation strategy, sourcing, and cost optimization for enterprises.
• Bain & Company (Operations practice): Bain's Operations and Enterprise Technology practice advises shippers, carriers, and logistics providers on supply chain cost reduction and performance. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for large shipper transformation mandates.
• Oliver Wyman (Transportation & Logistics practice): Oliver Wyman operates a transportation and logistics consulting practice advising railroads, shippers, and infrastructure clients. It is a much larger incumbent with overlapping capability in rail economics, costing, and supply chain strategy.
• Accenture Strategy (Supply Chain & Operations): Accenture Strategy's Supply Chain & Operations practice offers transportation, rail, and logistics advisory alongside large-scale technology transformation. A broad incumbent with overlap in rail/surface-transportation and supply chain consulting.

Emerging players

• Greenoak Logistics Consulting: Greenoak Logistics Consulting is a smaller, specialized supply chain and transportation consulting practice serving mid-market shippers. Comparable as a niche player competing in rail/transportation benchmarking and logistics strategy.

Direct peers

• Loup Logistics: Loup Logistics (part of Loup Holdings) provides rail-carrier research, intelligence, and supply-chain advisory to shippers and investors. Directly comparable to Highroad's VIEWPOINT™ and benchmarking offerings targeting shipper-side rail decision-making.
• Armstrong & Associates: Armstrong & Associates is a third-party logistics and supply-chain consulting and research firm serving logistics providers, shippers, and investors. Comparable as a niche supply chain / logistics advisory practice, though more research- than analysis-driven.
• Chainalytics (now part of SLR Global): Chainalytics provides supply chain analytics, transportation optimization, and procurement consulting for shippers and manufacturers. Strongly comparable in supply chain management consulting, freight cost analysis, and modeling-led optimization work.
• CPCS (formerly CPCS Transcom): CPCS is a transportation-focused management consulting firm advising on rail, ports, roads, and logistics strategy, similar in mission and delivery model to Highroad. Comparable as a specialist rail/transportation consultancy serving shippers, governments, and regulators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/take_highroad
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighroadConsultingLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Highroad Consulting