Roadrunner Transit

What Roadrunner Transit does

Roadrunner Transit (legal entity Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc., operating as Roadrunner Freight) is a U.S.-domiciled, private freight transportation company specializing in long-haul metro-to-metro less-than-truckload (LTL) services. It runs an asset-right network model — meaning field capacity is sourced from contracted owner-operators rather than owned tractor/trailer fleets — supported by 32 strategically located service centers in major U.S. metro markets. The corporate headquarters is in Downers Grove, Illinois, with a claims processing center in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the company serves freight shippers across major U.S. metro areas only, with no international footprint. Customer segments are horizontal across shippers needing reliable LTL coverage, with a stated primary segment of LTL freight shippers and a secondary non-primary segment of owner-operators that benefit from the EPA SmartWay partnership's fuel-efficiency tools.

The company sells primarily LTL line-haul transportation on a transaction-fee basis, augmented by accessorial charges and a variable fuel surcharge tied to U.S. DOE diesel price indexes. Pricing follows tariff rates with negotiated discounts under contractual pricing agreements, and volume/spot quotes are routed through a dedicated sales contact rather than fully self-serve. Go-to-market is a hybrid of a self-serve customer portal (website-based quote, tracking, BOL, label maker, density calculator, transit time, claims, fuel surcharge, and reports) for smaller shippers, paired with direct enterprise sales for volume accounts. Distribution is direct through the website and the 32-center service center network, with no third-party intermediaries disclosed.

Technology is the core operational differentiator. The platform exposes a full web services API suite — Rating, Spot Quote, Tracking (by PRO/BOL/PO number with BOL and POD image retrieval), Quick Pickup, Transit Time, and BOL — plus a parallel EDI capability supporting industry-standard transaction sets 204 (Motor Carrier Shipment Information), 210 (Freight Details and Invoice), 211 (Motor Carrier Bill of Lading), 214 (Shipment Status Message), and 997 (Functional Acknowledgement). Roadrunner has implemented the NMFTA LTL Electronic Bill of Lading API Standard Version 1.1 for eBOL processes, and supports Basic Authentication for API access. The product portfolio is anchored by the core LTL freight service and wrapped with roughly fifteen supporting self-service tools (label maker supporting Avery 5164 templates, density calculator, service center finder, claims submission, reports, rules tariff downloads, SMC reference files). The company holds EPA SmartWay Transport Partner status with the highest available performance score of 1.25. Revenue, funding, ownership, and headcount are not publicly disclosed beyond a stated 11-employee firmographic number; the asset-right model and 32-terminal footprint imply most operational labor is contracted rather than on payroll.

Name

Roadrunner Transit

Legal name

Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc.

Website

https://rrts.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roadrunner Transit (Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc.) operates an asset-right LTL freight network with 32 U.S. metro service centers, serving freight shippers via metro-to-metro transportation, EDI integration, and a web services API suite.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LTL Freight Transportation

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Road Transportation (48849)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Interregional/Long-Haul LTL Network Carriers (TLADAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

National/Regional LTL General Freight Carriers (TLADAEAA)

Keywords

• Less-than-truckload freight
• LTL freight transportation
• Metro-to-metro shipping
• Asset-right freight network
• Freight system integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Downers Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LTL Freight Transportation: Revenue generated from less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services, including line-haul charges and accessorial services. The company applies fuel surcharges based on U.S. Department of Energy diesel price indexes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Roadrunner Transit, operating as Roadrunner Freight, provides long-haul metro-to-metro less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation services through an asset-right network of 32 strategically located service centers. The company combines direct loading processes with digital integration tools (web services APIs and EDI) to enable shippers to book, track, and manage LTL freight shipments with reduced handling and damage.

Product overview

Roadrunner Transit operates as a freight transportation services provider specializing in Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) services with an asset-right network model. The company maintains 32 strategically located service centers across major metro markets offering long-haul metro-to-metro LTL transportation. The product portfolio consists of the core Roadrunner Freight LTL service supported by an integrated suite of customer-facing digital tools including web services/APIs (Rating, Spot Quote, Tracking, Quick Pickup, Transit Time, BOL, and EDI) for system integration, plus operational tools for rate quoting, shipment tracking, pickup scheduling, label generation, density calculation, transit time estimation, service center lookup, claims submission, fuel surcharge information, rules tariff access, and reporting. The web services suite enables customers to automate shipping processes through their own systems, while the self-service web tools provide direct online access to common freight operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Roadrunner Freight LTL Services Long-haul metro-to-metro Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) freight transportation services for business shippers, using an asset-right network with direct loading processes to reduce handling and deliver freight on time, intact, and damage-free.
• Web Services API Suite Suite of web services including Rating, Spot Quote, Tracking, Quick Pickup, Transit Time, and BOL APIs that allow customers to integrate LTL rating, booking, tracking, and document creation directly into their own websites and internal applications.
• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Electronic Data Interchange integration supporting industry-standard transaction sets 204 (Motor Carrier Shipment Information), 210 (Freight Details and Invoice), 211 (Motor Carrier Bill of Lading), 214 (Shipment Status Message), and 997 (Functional Acknowledgement) for automated data exchange between customer and Roadrunner systems.
• NMFTA eBOL API Service Electronic Bill of Lading (eBOL) service implementing the NMFTA LTL Electronic Bill of Lading API Standard Version 1.1, enabling standardized electronic BOL creation and exchange between shippers and Roadrunner.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay ProgramcoreOthersRoadrunner Transportation Systems participates in the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between EPA and industry to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality. The partnership enables RRTS to provide customers with SmartWay certified transportation options and helps owner-operators access tools for reducing fuel consumption.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Echo Global Logistics: Technology-enabled freight brokerage offering LTL and truckload capacity to shippers. Comparable to Roadrunner on digital integration and EDI/API ecosystem, but operates as a non-asset-based intermediary rather than a service-center LTL carrier.
• RXO: Asset-light freight brokerage and transportation services provider spun off from XPO. Competes with Roadrunner's asset-right capacity strategy and shares overlap with shipper-side API/EDI integration capabilities.
• Schneider National: Large multi-modal carrier offering truckload, intermodal, and LTL services. Overlaps with Roadrunner on enterprise freight services and digital integration, but is materially larger and more diversified across modes.
• XPO LTL: Major US LTL operator (LTL segment of XPO, which spun off its brokerage unit as RXO). Overlaps with Roadrunner in core LTL service but operates a broader logistics portfolio and has materially greater scale.
• Coyote Logistics: Asset-based freight brokerage owned by UPS, offering LTL and truckload services through carrier networks. Comparable to Roadrunner's digital portal/API integration model and asset-right approach, though Coyote does not own service centers.

Direct peers

• Estes Express Lines: Privately held LTL carrier with one of the largest US LTL networks. Operates a similar long-haul metro-to-metro model with extensive service-center footprint and EDI/API integration capabilities directly comparable to Roadrunner's offering.
• ABF Freight (ArcBest): LTL subsidiary of ArcBest, operating a national LTL network with metro-to-metro long-haul lanes. Competes with Roadrunner on LTL service quality, technology integration, and enterprise shipper contracts.
• Old Dominion Freight Line: Largest pure-play LTL carrier in the US, operating a national network of service centers with metro-to-metro long-haul coverage. Directly comparable to Roadrunner on product (LTL freight transportation) and target customer (enterprise shippers requiring reliable, cost-effective metro-to-metro delivery).
• Saia Inc. Publicly traded LTL carrier operating a national service-center network with long-haul metro-to-metro lanes. Competes head-to-head with Roadrunner for LTL freight and shares the same technology-driven, customer-portal-led operating model.
• TForce Freight (TFI International): LTL division of Canadian-based TFI International, operating a national US LTL network following the UPS Freight acquisition. Directly competes with Roadrunner in long-haul metro-to-metro LTL with comparable service-center density and EDI/API capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roadrunner-transit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Roadrunner Transit