1st Class Services
First Class Services, Inc. is a privately held regional bulk trucking carrier founded in 1989, operating five terminals across Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina. It specializes in liquid and dry bulk transport with hazmat handling, serving chemical, plastics, petroleum, food-grade, and construction customers in the Midwest and Southeast US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersCypress, Texas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 1st Class Services does
First Class Services, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned bulk trucking carrier founded in 1989 by Randy Stroup, a third-generation trucker who previously transported commercial jet engines for Southern Pride Trucking Company. Headquartered operationally across a five-terminal network (Lewisport and Owensboro, Kentucky; Evansville and Jeffersonville, Indiana; Columbia, South Carolina), the company specializes in liquid and dry bulk commodities transport with hazardous materials handling capabilities. Its service portfolio comprises eleven distinct offerings covering plastic pellets (with self-loading resin equipment), petroleum products, black oils, pressurized liquids, food-grade liquids and dry bulk (Kosher and Non-Kosher certified), elevated temperature products, and hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals.
The underlying technology is the company's modern fleet of tanker equipment, including self-loading resin trailers and pneumatic tanker systems for plastic pellets, lime, cement, and flyash. Drivers are required to hold 7+ years of CDL experience, and the company maintains a dedicated maintenance team and a state-of-the-art customer service and dispatch program. First Class Services is a participating partner in the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Partnership program, and has won multiple annual Platinum National Safety awards from Great West Casualty Insurance Company.
The business operates on a transaction-fee revenue model through custom quote-based pricing, engaging customers directly via phone (toll-free 800 number) and a website quote request form. Its go-to-market is sales-led, targeting chemical and plastics/polymers manufacturers as primary segments, with petroleum/energy, food and beverage, and construction/infrastructure as secondary verticals across the Midwest and Southeastern United States. The company is founder-owned with no institutional investment, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity recorded, operating as a regional specialty carrier with a 35-year operating history.
1st Class Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1st Class Services
- Legal name
- First Class Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://firstclassservices.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- First Class Services, Inc. is a privately held regional bulk trucking carrier founded in 1989, operating five terminals across Indiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina. It specializes in liquid and dry bulk transport with hazmat handling, serving chemical, plastics, petroleum, food-grade, and construction customers in the Midwest and Southeast US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
1st Class Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bulk Trucking Transportation
- NAICS
- Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance (484230)
- SIC
- Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Liquid Hazmat / Chemical Tank Transport (DOT/ADR tankers) (TLADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food-Grade Liquid Bulk Transport (Milk/Juice/Edible Oils/Syrups) (TLADALAD), Specialty Liquid Bulk (Latex/Resins/Paints/Adhesives) Transport (TLADALAJ), Dry Bulk (Hopper/Pneumatic) TL Carriers (TLADADAE)
Keywords
Where 1st Class Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cypress, Texas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
1st Class Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Bulk Transportation Services: Transportation of liquid and dry bulk commodities including plastic pellets, petroleum products, chemicals, and food grade products. Revenue generated through freight charges based on distance, commodity type, and handling requirements. Services include hazmat transport, pressurized liquids, and elevated temperature products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
1st Class Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Class Services provides bulk transportation services for liquid and dry bulk commodities across the Midwest and Southeastern United States. The company operates a fleet of modern tanker equipment to transport hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals, plastic pellets, petroleum products, food grade liquids (Kosher and Non-Kosher), black oils, pressurized liquids, and elevated temperature products for industrial customers. Services are delivered through five regional terminals with professional hazmat-certified drivers.
Product overview
First Class Services operates as a specialized bulk transportation company providing a comprehensive suite of logistics services. The company offers eleven distinct service offerings centered around liquid and dry bulk commodity transport, including hazardous materials handling. Core services include self-loading resin transport, pneumatic plastic transportation, black oils, petroleum products, pressurized liquids (propane, anhydrous), food-grade dry bulk (Kosher certified), chemical hazmat transport, elevated temperature products, food-grade liquids, and pneumatic dry bulk materials. All services are delivered through a modern fleet of tanker equipment with professional hazmat-certified drivers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Self Loading Resin Transport Self-loading bulk transportation service for plastic resin pellets, allowing independent loading operations at customer facilities. Designed for plastic resin manufacturers and processors.
- Plastic (Pneumatic) – Top Loading Transport Pneumatic tanker service for transporting plastic pellets via top loading methods. Serves plastic resin manufacturers and processors.
- Black Oils Transportation Bulk transport of black oils including pitch, tar, emulsions, asphalt, creosote, and road sealers. Designed for construction companies, municipalities, and industrial facilities requiring temperature-controlled transport.
- Liquid Petroleum Products Transport Transportation of liquid petroleum products via bulk tank carriers. Serves oil refiners, distributors, and energy companies requiring bulk liquid transport.
- Pressurized Liquid Transport Specialized transport of pressurized liquids including propane and anhydrous ammonia. Serves industrial customers requiring pressurized liquid logistics.
- Food Grade Dry Bulk Transport Sanitary dry bulk transportation service available in both Kosher and Non-Kosher certified options for food manufacturers requiring sanitary bulk transport of powdered ingredients.
- Chemical Hazmat and Non-Hazmat Transport Hazardous and non-hazardous chemical transportation with hazmat-certified drivers and equipment. Serves chemical manufacturers and distributors requiring DOT-compliant transport of industrial solvents, acids, and reactive materials.
- Elevated Temperature Products Transport Specialized transport of heated/elevated temperature products including hot oils. Serves industrial and construction industry customers requiring temperature-controlled transport.
- Food Grade Liquid (Sanitary) Transport Sanitary liquid transportation service for food-grade products such as corn syrup and oils, available in Kosher and Non-Kosher variants.
- Dry Bulk Products (Pneumatic) Transport Pneumatic dry bulk transportation for materials such as lime, cement, and flyash. Serves construction and industrial customers requiring bulk dry material transport.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple Platinum National Safety awards from Great West Casualty Insurance Company
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use 1st Class Services
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
1st Class Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
1st Class Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- American Chemistry Council (Responsible Care Partnership)coreFirst Class Services is a participating partner in the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care Partnership program. Responsible Care is the chemical industry's world-class environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative. As a partner, the company commits to the Responsible Care Guiding Principles, including operating in environmentally and socially responsible manners, ensuring facility safety, and promoting pollution prevention. This partnership demonstrates the company's commitment to industry-leading safety and environmental standards.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
1st Class Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Schneider Bulk: Large diversified bulk carrier operating across dry bulk, liquid bulk, and intermodal services. Overlaps with First Class Services in chemical and bulk liquid offerings but operates at significantly larger scale.
Direct peers
- Quality Distribution / Boasso Global: One of the largest chemical bulk trucking providers in North America, operating Intermodal and ISO tank containers for hazmat and chemical transport. Directly comparable to First Class Services' chemical hazmat tanker services and shares the same ACC Responsible Care-adjacent customer base.
- Dana Transport: Bulk liquid and dry bulk carrier with chemical and industrial focus. Comparable regional footprint and specialty equipment mix to First Class Services.
- Superior Bulk Logistics: Dry bulk carrier specializing in pneumatic transport of plastics, chemicals, and food-grade products. Highly comparable equipment profile (pneumatic tankers, dry bulk) to First Class Services' dry bulk services.
- Trimac Transportation: North American bulk trucking carrier specializing in chemicals, petroleum, and specialty products via tanker fleet. Highly comparable in service mix, regulatory requirements, and customer verticals to First Class Services.
- Highway Transport: Specialized chemical tanker carrier serving the petrochemical industry with comparable DOT-regulated hazmat operations. Closely matches First Class Services' chemical transportation service line.
- Groendyke Transport: Tank truck carrier specializing in bulk commodities including chemicals and petroleum with comparable hazmat handling capabilities. Closely matches First Class Services' service portfolio and equipment mix.
- Heniff Transportation: Liquid bulk carrier with focus on chemical, petroleum, and specialty products. Comparable mid-market scale, hazmat certification, and customer mix to First Class Services.
- CLI Transport: Bulk motor carrier focused on dry and liquid chemicals with strong hazmat compliance capabilities. Comparable in service offerings and customer verticals to First Class Services.
- Ruan Transport: Specialized bulk transportation provider serving food-grade, chemical, and industrial customers with dedicated fleet operations. Overlapping service lines with First Class Services, particularly in the food-grade and chemical verticals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
1st Class Services social profiles
Digital presence1st Class Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
1st Class Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1st Class Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
1st Class Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1st Class Services 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 1st Class Services
What does 1st Class Services do?
First Class Services provides bulk transportation services for liquid and dry bulk commodities across the Midwest and Southeastern United States. The company operates a fleet of modern tanker equipment to transport hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals, plastic pellets, petroleum products, food grade liquids (Kosher and Non-Kosher), black oils, pressurized liquids, and elevated temperature products for industrial customers. Services are delivered through five regional terminals with professional hazmat-certified drivers.
Is 1st Class Services a public or private company?
1st Class Services is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 1st Class Services founded?
1st Class Services was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 1st Class Services based?
1st Class Services is headquartered in Cypress, Texas, United States, in the North America region.
How does 1st Class Services make money?
One revenue line is on record: bulk Transportation Services.
Who are 1st Class Services's main competitors?
Schneider Bulk is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Quality Distribution / Boasso Global, Dana Transport, Superior Bulk Logistics, Trimac Transportation, Highway Transport, Groendyke Transport, Heniff Transportation, CLI Transport and Ruan Transport.
Does 1st Class Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1st Class Services.
What industry is 1st Class Services in?
1st Class Services's product category is Bulk Trucking Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAIAB, Liquid Hazmat / Chemical Tank Transport (DOT/ADR tankers), with a secondary code of TLADALAD, Food-Grade Liquid Bulk Transport (Milk/Juice/Edible Oils/Syrups). Its NAICS code is 4842 and its SIC code is 4210.