central states, se & sw areas health & pension funds

What central states, se & sw areas health & pension funds does

Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Health & Pension Funds is a non-profit, private multiemployer Taft-Hartley trust established in 1955 to deliver defined-benefit retirement, survivor, disability, and retiree health benefits to covered union workers. Its participant base is concentrated in the U.S. trucking and freight industry, with participating employers and locals historically affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The fund is governed by a joint board of trustees representing labor and management under the federal ERISA framework, and employer contributions plus investment returns fund participant benefits. The fund does not generate commercial revenue; rather, it pools contributions and invests them to meet long-dated benefit obligations.

In 2023, the fund received $35.8 billion in Special Financial Assistance under the American Rescue Plan Act, restoring funded status to 98.1% as of January 1, 2025. That same year, decades-old consent decrees that had constrained investment policy and operational flexibility were dissolved, expanding the trustees' governance latitude. Operationally, the fund has invested in participant-facing digital tools — a website redesign in August 2024, an SMS texting program in September 2024, and an online retirement application launched in December 2025 — indicating a deliberate channel modernization effort. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, or commercial product lines are evident from the available evidence; the fund's "products" are statutory benefits, not market-priced services.

Name

central states, se & sw areas health & pension funds

Legal name

Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund

Website

https://mycentralstatespension.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Central States is a non-profit multiemployer Taft-Hartley pension and health benefits fund, founded in 1955, providing defined-benefit retirement, survivor, disability, and retiree health coverage to union workers concentrated in the U.S. trucking and freight industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multiemployer Pension Fund

NAICS

Pension Funds (525110), Pension Funds (52511), Health and Welfare Funds (52512), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

akta.pro primary industry

Taft-Hartley / Labor Union & Public Sector Retirement Systems (FSAAAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Public Pension Funds (DB/DC Sponsors) (FSAAAGAA), Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAA)

Keywords

• Multiemployer pension benefits
• Retirement income benefits
• Survivor benefits administration
• Disability benefits management
• Retiree health coverage

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central States Pension Fund is a multiemployer defined benefit pension plan that administers retirement, survivor, disability, and retiree health benefits for union workers, retirees, and their beneficiaries. The fund is supported by participating employer contributions and investment returns, and provides members with an online portal containing benefit estimation tools, online retirement applications, SMS alerts, and educational webinars.

Product overview

Central States Pension Fund is a multiemployer defined benefit pension plan providing retirement, survivor, disability, and health benefits to participants in the trucking industry. The fund operates a member portal (MyCentralStatesPension.org) offering digital tools including a Benefit Estimator for retirement planning calculations, Tax Calculator for distribution planning, and Work History tracking. Additional services include SMS text alerts, online benefit application submission, and educational webinars on retirement readiness. The fund reported a 98.1% funding level as of January 1, 2025, with $35.8 billion in special financial assistance received in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retirement Benefits
• Survivor Benefits
• Disability Benefits
• Retiree Health Plans

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.1% funded as of January 1, 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Laborers Pension Fund: Multiemployer pension and related benefit funds for Laborers' International Union members in construction and related industries. Comparable size, governance, and benefit administration model.
• UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust: VEBA trust established for UAW retirees providing health and other benefits, parallel in structure (multiemployer-like union trust) to Central States' retiree health plans. Comparable in administering retiree welfare benefits funded through collective bargaining.
• National Electrical Benefit Fund (NEBF): Multiemployer Taft-Hartley defined benefit pension plan for IBEW members across the electrical construction industry. Operates the same plan type, governance structure, and digital self-service model as Central States.
• Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan: Another large multiemployer Taft-Hartley defined benefit pension plan covering Teamsters workers in the Western United States. It is the closest direct peer to Central States given overlapping coverage of the trucking/transportation industry and similar multiemployer DB structure.
• Boilermakers National Pension Trust: Multiemployer DB pension trust for International Brotherhood of Boilermakers members in construction, manufacturing, and shipbuilding. Shares the multiemployer Taft-Hartley architecture and benefit focus.
• IAM National Pension Fund: Multiemployer defined benefit pension plan for the International Association of Machinists covering manufacturing, aerospace, and transportation workers. Same Taft-Hartley multiemployer DB design and serves an overlapping industrial union population.
• United Steelworkers Pension Plan: Multiemployer defined benefit pension plan serving steelworkers and related manufacturing unions. Comparable in product (DB pension) and governance (joint labor-management trusteeship), though the covered industry is more manufacturing-heavy.
• Sheet Metal Workers' National Pension Fund: National multiemployer defined benefit pension plan for sheet metal workers across the U.S. Operates under the same ERISA multiemployer framework and offers DB pension plus related benefits comparable to Central States.

Broad incumbents

• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): Federal agency that insures multiemployer defined benefit pension plans and acts as a backstop for insolvent plans like Central States. Not a direct competitor but the macro counterparty and regulator shaping Central States' risk profile.

Others

• Empower Retirement: Large recordkeeping and administration provider for retirement plans, including multiemployer and Taft-Hartley plans. Comparable as a pension administration platform though it operates as a for-profit recordkeeper rather than plan sponsor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 central states, se & sw areas health & pension funds