Central Freight Lines
Central Freight Lines is a non-union regional less-than-truckload trucking carrier headquartered in Waco, Texas, serving U.S. shippers through terminal operations and an online portal since 1925.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1925
- HeadquartersWaco, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Central Freight Lines does
Central Freight Lines is a regional less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking carrier headquartered in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1925, the company operates as a for-profit, non-union carrier providing LTL freight services to shippers across its regional footprint in the United States. Customers access the carrier through a combination of physical terminals and an online portal for booking, tracking, and managing shipments. The company previously traded on NASDAQ under the ticker CENF but is now delisted, suggesting a go-private transaction or similar corporate action without a subsequent public re-listing.
The company's core product is regional LTL freight transportation, a segment in which carriers consolidate smaller freight shipments into linehauls between terminals before final-mile delivery. This operating model relies on terminal density, route planning, and dock productivity — areas where the company has accumulated nearly a century of operating experience. The online portal indicates a digital front-end for shipper self-service, though the underlying technology stack, proprietary systems, and any AI/ML deployment are not disclosed in available data. The company employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people, consistent with a mid-sized regional LTL operator.
Central Freight Lines' business model is built on per-shipment LTL pricing, with revenue mechanics tied to weight, distance, freight class, and accessorial charges typical of the LTL segment. Customer segments are not disclosed but, given the regional scope, likely include SMB shippers and mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. The go-to-motion is a mix of direct sales and digital self-service through the online portal. No pricing details, named customers, partnerships, or recent strategic transactions are disclosed in the input data, limiting visibility into the company's current commercial posture and competitive positioning within the consolidated U.S. LTL market.
Central Freight Lines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Central Freight Lines
- Website
- https://centralfreight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1925
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Central Freight Lines is a non-union regional less-than-truckload trucking carrier headquartered in Waco, Texas, serving U.S. shippers through terminal operations and an online portal since 1925.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Central Freight Lines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight Transportation
- NAICS
- General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance (48412), General Freight Trucking (4841), General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (484121)
- SIC
- Trucking (No Local) (4213), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional Next-Day LTL Carriers (TLADAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA)
Keywords
Where Central Freight Lines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Central Freight Lines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Central Freight Lines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Central Freight Lines is a non-union regional less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier that picks up, transports, and delivers LTL freight shipments across its regional U.S. service area. The company offers shippers an online portal for managing shipments alongside its physical trucking network.
Product overview
No product or service information available in the provided source data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Regional Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight Service Non-union regional less-than-truckload trucking service that picks up, line-hauls, and delivers palletized and smaller freight shipments for business shippers across its U.S. regional service area.
- Online Shipment Portal
Companies that use Central Freight Lines
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Central Freight Lines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Central Freight Lines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves3 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Central Freight Lines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Saia Inc. Saia operates a national LTL network with strong regional density in the South-Central and Southeastern U.S., directly overlapping Central Freight Lines' core geographic footprint and competing for similar mid-market shipper customers.
- XPO Inc. XPO runs one of the largest North American LTL networks (formerly XPO Logistics). Comparable as a national LTL incumbent competing for the same multi-region shipper RFPs as Central Freight Lines.
- Estes Express Lines: Estes is the largest privately-held LTL carrier in the U.S. with a broad regional and interregional network. Closely comparable as a private, non-publicly-traded LTL operator of similar ownership posture to Central Freight Lines.
- Old Dominion Freight Line: Old Dominion is the largest U.S. LTL carrier by revenue and a dominant national network. Comparable as a benchmark for LTL economics, service standards, and competitive positioning against Central Freight Lines' regional network.
- ArcBest Corporation (ABF Freight): ArcBest operates the ABF Freight national LTL network alongside asset-light logistics. Comparable as a publicly-listed LTL competitor that defines service and pricing benchmarks Central Freight Lines must meet.
- TForce Freight (TFI International): TForce Freight is the LTL unit of TFI International and operates a national LTL network in the U.S. Comparable as a cross-border LTL platform competing for the same enterprise shipper contracts and interregional lanes.
Direct peers
- Averitt Express: Averitt is a privately-held LTL and truckload carrier serving the Southeastern U.S. Highly comparable as a regional, multi-service (LTL plus truckload) carrier with overlapping customer segments in the South-Central/Southeast.
- Southeastern Freight Lines: Southeastern Freight Lines is a regional, privately-held, non-union LTL carrier covering the Southeastern and South-Central U.S. The most direct operational analog to Central Freight Lines in terms of regional scope, labor model, and go-to-market.
- R+L Carriers: R+L Carriers is a privately-held LTL carrier with strong regional and national coverage. Comparable as a private, family-owned LTL operator competing for the same regional shipper base and overlapping lane structure.
- AAA Cooper Transportation: AAA Cooper is a privately-held, regional LTL carrier headquartered in Dothan, AL, serving the Southeastern and South-Central U.S. Closely comparable to Central Freight Lines in regional scope, private ownership, and LTL focus.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Central Freight Lines social profiles
Digital presenceCentral Freight Lines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Central Freight Lines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Central Freight Lines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Central Freight Lines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Central Freight Lines
What does Central Freight Lines do?
Central Freight Lines is a non-union regional less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier that picks up, transports, and delivers LTL freight shipments across its regional U.S. service area. The company offers shippers an online portal for managing shipments alongside its physical trucking network.
When was Central Freight Lines founded?
Central Freight Lines was founded in 1925. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Central Freight Lines based?
Central Freight Lines is headquartered in Waco, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Central Freight Lines's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Saia Inc., XPO Inc., Estes Express Lines, Old Dominion Freight Line, ArcBest Corporation (ABF Freight) and TForce Freight (TFI International). Direct peers are Averitt Express, Southeastern Freight Lines, R+L Carriers and AAA Cooper Transportation.
Does Central Freight Lines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Central Freight Lines.
What industry is Central Freight Lines in?
Central Freight Lines's product category is Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) Freight Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAEAB, Regional Next-Day LTL Carriers, with a secondary code of TLADAEAA, National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers. Its NAICS code is 48412 and its SIC code is 4213.