A.M. Express

What A.M. Express does

A.M. Express, Inc. is a privately held asset-based freight transportation company headquartered in Escanaba, Michigan, with operations spanning the United States and limited activity in Canada. Founded in 1984 by Bob Garcia, the company has been owned by Pat Barron since 1998, who transitioned from Accounting Manager to owner over a two-year period. The business serves B2B shippers requiring movement of general merchandise, paper, printed goods, beverages, non-hazardous bulk liquids, construction equipment, and temperature-sensitive freight, and explicitly does not handle hazardous materials.

The core capability is a diversified fleet spanning seven trailer configurations: Dry Van, Tanker, Flatbed, Heavy Haul (8-axle dry van), Reefer, Lowboy, and Jumbo. Equipment is maintained in-house by the Red Pine Equipment Maintenance division, which the company cites as a downtime-minimizing asset. Capability has been augmented by two acquisitions: Dow Dawson Trucking (2016) added non-hazardous tanker hauling, and D. Graham Transport (2022) strengthened flatbed operations. The technology footprint is conventional — fleet operations, dispatch, and a Squarespace-hosted marketing site — with no disclosed software platform, proprietary telematics, or AI systems.

Revenue is generated per-shipment and via contract rates through direct B2B freight transportation, sold through direct sales relationships rather than third-party broker channels. Driver compensation is publicly disclosed at 47–60 cents per mile with weekly mileage bands, regional premiums, sign-on and inspection bonuses, while customer freight rates are not. Geographic reach has expanded from Midwest roots to nationwide coverage, with planned capacity growth of nine trucks and ten trailers in 2026.

Name

A.M. Express

Legal name

A.M. Express, Inc.

Website

https://amexpressinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

A.M. Express is a privately held asset-based trucking company headquartered in Escanaba, Michigan, operating seven trailer configurations for B2B shippers across the United States, with Midwest roots, in-house maintenance, and a 2026 fleet expansion plan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Transportation Services

NAICS

General Freight Trucking (4841), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (48423)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLADADAA

Dry Van (General Freight) TL Carriers

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Truckload (TL) Motor Carriers

SECONDARYTLADALAJ

Specialty Liquid Bulk (Latex/Resins/Paints/Adhesives) Transport

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Tanker & Liquid Bulk Freight Transport

Keywords

• Freight transportation services
• Trucking and logistics
• Flatbed hauling
• Tanker trucking services
• Refrigerated freight transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Escanaba

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Freight Transportation Services: The company generates revenue through providing freight transportation services across the United States. Revenue is derived from hauling various cargo types including paper, magazines, general merchandise, beverages, and bulk non-hazardous liquids. The company operates on a per-mile compensation model for drivers and presumably charges shippers per shipment or contract rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

A.M. Express is a trucking company that provides freight transportation services across the United States and Canada using a diverse fleet of Dry Van, Tanker, Flatbed, Heavy Haul, Reefer, Lowboy, and Jumbo trailers. The company serves businesses needing reliable hauling of paper, magazines, general merchandise, beverages, bulk non-hazardous liquids, and oversized or specialized loads. Services are supported by 24/7 dispatch and an in-house maintenance division (Red Pine Equipment Maintenance).

Product overview

A.M. Express is a premier trucking company offering a unified suite of freight transportation services across the United States with strong roots in the Midwest. The company operates seven core transportation products: Dry Van (standard boxed freight), Tanker (non-hazmat liquid bulk), Flatbed (open-deck for construction materials and irregular loads), Heavy Haul (oversized 8-axle equipment), Reefer (refrigerated temperature-controlled), Lowboy (heavy construction equipment), and Jumbo (large-volume tanker). Services are supported by in-house maintenance division Red Pine Equipment Maintenance. The company expanded its capabilities through strategic acquisitions: Dow Dawson Trucking (2016) added tanker services, and D. Graham Transport (2022) strengthened flatbed operations. The company provides 24/7 dispatch services and does not handle hazardous materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Pine Equipment Maintenance: In-house maintenance division that ensures trucks and trailers are maintained and ready for operation, minimizing downtime for customers.

Products and services

• Dry Van Transportation Dry van transportation service providing dependable freight solutions for businesses, hauling paper, printed goods, general merchandise, and consumer products across the United States and Canada.
• Tanker Transportation Standard non-hazmat liquid bulk transport service for a variety of industries, providing safe and efficient tanker operations.
• Flatbed Transportation Flatbed hauling service for construction materials, steel, and oversized or irregularly shaped loads requiring specialized handling and securement.
• Heavy Haul Transportation Oversized and high-capacity freight transportation using 8-axle dry van equipment to handle loads that standard trailers cannot accommodate.
• Reefer Transportation Refrigerated transportation service with full temperature control (hot or cold) for temperature-sensitive shipments and local machine shops during winter months.
• Lowboy Transportation Specialized lowboy transportation for heavy construction equipment including excavators and bulldozers requiring precision handling and planning.
• Jumbo Tanker Transportation Jumbo tanker service providing large-volume bulk hauling capacity for non-hazardous liquid freight, enabling customers to move more product with fewer trips.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24/7 dispatch support ensures round-the-clock service availability
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Knight-Swift Transportation: Knight-Swift is the largest U.S. truckload carrier with broad TL, LTL, refrigerated, flatbed, and logistics services. It is a broad incumbent reference point for A.M. Express's core dry van and multi-trailer offerings, though at vastly larger scale.
• Schneider National: Schneider runs one of the largest U.S. truckload, intermodal, and logistics networks, with dedicated, dry van, refrigerated, and flatbed segments. It is a broad incumbent comparable to A.M. Express's equipment-mix strategy and serves the same paper, beverage, and consumer-goods shipper universe.
• Werner Enterprises: Werner Enterprises operates dedicated truckload, one-way TL, and logistics services nationally. Comparable to A.M. Express on dedicated and dry-van freight, but operates at enterprise scale with technology-enabled services A.M. Express does not offer.

Direct peers

• Heartland Express: Heartland Express runs irregular-route truckload services across multiple trailer types from a Midwest base. It directly overlaps with A.M. Express's general freight and multi-trailer model and is one of the closest publicly traded comps for a regional Midwest TL operator.
• Daseke: Daseke is a leading flatbed and specialized transportation carrier focused on construction, heavy haul, and industrial freight. It directly overlaps with A.M. Express's flatbed, heavy haul, and lowboy service lines for construction-equipment shippers.
• PGT Trucking: PGT Trucking is a flatbed, multi-services, and specialized carrier operating across the U.S. with regional terminals. It is directly comparable to A.M. Express's flatbed and specialized equipment offerings for construction and industrial shippers.
• Marten Transport: Marten Transport is a Midwest-rooted truckload carrier offering refrigerated, dedicated, and irregular-route TL services. It is directly comparable to A.M. Express in its Midwest origin, multi-trailer-type fleet, and B2B freight focus, though it operates at materially larger scale.
• U.S. Xpress Enterprises: U.S. Xpress is a national truckload carrier with dedicated, dry van, and expedited services and significant technology investments. It is comparable to A.M. Express on general freight but represents a more technology-enabled, scaled version of the same business.
• Hogan Transportation: Hogan Transportation is a Midwest-headquartered irregular-route TL carrier with a multi-trailer fleet (dry van, refrigerated, flatbed). It is directly comparable to A.M. Express on geography, customer base, and equipment breadth.
• Roehl Transport: Roehl Transport is a privately held, Midwest-based truckload carrier with flatbed, refrigerated, and dry van operations. It is a close regional comp to A.M. Express on geography, equipment breadth, and private-company operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AMexpressINC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 A.M. Express