LTL carrier comparison: national vs. regional carriers

Every LTL carrier can move a pallet. The differences are where their terminals are, what they charge for the extras, and how badly they want your freight on a given lane this week. This guide lays out who the major carriers are, factually, and how to choose between them.

By Ryan Poynter, SVP of LTL, Armstrong Transport Group · Updated September 24, 2026

National vs. regional: what the difference really means

National carriers own or lease terminals across the country and move freight coast to coast on their own linehaul network. One carrier handles the shipment from pickup to delivery, which keeps handoffs down on long lanes.

Regional carriers concentrate terminals in one part of the country. Inside that footprint they often have more terminals per mile, direct next-day lanes and drivers who know the delivery points. Outside it, many reach other areas through partner carriers (interlining), which adds a handoff.

The line between the two keeps moving. Several regional carriers have grown into multi-regional networks, ownership has changed through acquisitions (TForce Freight was UPS Freight until 2021; AAA Cooper joined Knight-Swift the same year), and FedEx Freight became an independent public company in June 2026. Treat any carrier list, including this one, as a snapshot.

National LTL carriers

Regional and multi-regional LTL carriers

Facts from each carrier’s own site or public filings, checked September 2026. Footprints change; confirm service to your ZIPs with the carrier. We list no on-time or claims figures because carriers don’t publish them on a comparable basis.

Which carriers Armstrong uses most

Here is each carrier’s share of the 97,351 LTL shipments Armstrong arranged in September 2025 – August 2026. This is the share of shipments Armstrong arranged, not national market share; it reflects our customers’ lanes and the carrier that priced best on each one.

Shares rounded to the nearest percent. Source: Armstrong Transport Group LTL shipments, September 2025 – August 2026. See how we calculate these figures.

Two things are worth noticing. The mix is spread out: the busiest carrier, AAA Cooper Transportation, handled about 11% and the next several sit between 4% and 10%. And regional carriers hold their own next to the nationals, because a big share of freight moves on regional lanes, where they’re at their best. In our data 47% of shipments were regional (neighboring states) and 43% were long haul.

How to pick a carrier for a shipment

Check the terminal map, not the logo

The single best predictor of how a carrier will perform on a lane is whether it runs its own terminals near both ends. Look up the service center that covers your origin and destination ZIPs on each carrier’s site. A carrier with a terminal 20 miles away usually picks up more reliably than one serving your area through a partner.

Compare the rules, not just the rate

Carriers write different rules into their tariffs, and those rules change the final invoice. A few examples from the published tariffs (as of September 2026; check each carrier’s current tariff):

• Cubic capacity. Estes applies a cubic minimum to shipments over 350 cubic feet (EXLA 105, Item 615). Old Dominion and XPO apply theirs at 350 cubic feet only when density is under 3 lb per cubic foot, or at 750 cubic feet when under 6 (ODFL 100-Q Item 610-1; XPO CNWY 199-AK.1 Item 233).
• Volume eligibility. Estes volume LTL starts at 5,000 lb or 8 linear feet; FedEx Freight volume services start at 2,500 lb and 7 feet of trailer.
• Liftgate. Old Dominion lists liftgate service at $4.40 per hundredweight with a $105 minimum and $330 maximum (Item 891, revised November 2025); other carriers price it differently. See LTL accessorial charges.

The same shipment can land very differently depending on which set of rules it falls under. For more on where those lines sit, see LTL weight limits and pallet size and dimension limits.

Worked example: same shipment, two lanes

Three pallets, 1,800 lb, dock to dock from Charlotte, NC. Two destinations:

1. Atlanta, GA (regional). Southeastern regional carriers (AAA Cooper, Southeastern, Averitt) run terminals at both ends, and so do the nationals. That’s a deep field of carriers competing on the lane. In Armstrong’s data, regional shipments of 1,000–2,499 lb paid $295–$650 for the middle 50%, typical $425, with a median transit of 2 business days.
2. Phoenix, AZ (long haul). A regional carrier only belongs in this comparison if it serves both ends directly; otherwise the field narrows to national carriers or an interline. Long-haul shipments of the same weight paid $465–$1,010, typical $675, median transit 4 business days.

On the Atlanta lane, the spread between the low and high end of the middle 50% is $355; on Phoenix it’s $545. Part of that spread is freight class and exact ZIPs, but part is simply which carrier priced the shipment. That is why comparing carriers on each shipment pays: the gap between a carrier that fits your lane and one that doesn’t can be larger than the whole discount you negotiated. The lane pages show typical pricing for specific state pairs, and the pallet shipping cost guide covers single pallets.

Why compare carriers every time

• Carrier appetite changes. A carrier with empty space on a lane this week prices it to fill; next month it may not.
• Networks change. Terminal openings, acquisitions and spin-offs shift who is strong where.
• Rules differ. Minimum charges, cubic rules and accessorial fees vary as much as base rates.
• Transit differs. A day saved can matter more than a few dollars; see LTL transit times.

Armstrong compares 50+ LTL carriers in one search, and customers see an average of about 15% savings versus published rates. For how each price is built, read how LTL rates are calculated.