Old Dominion Freight Line was named the top national less-than-truckload carrier for a 17th straight year while Daylight Transport received top overall honors for a third straight year, according to a news release from Mastio & Co. The research and consulting firm annually conducts the industry’s most comprehensive survey evaluating customer value and loyalty.
This year’s results were based on 1,647 telephone interviews with LTL shippers from June through September. Respondents provided approximately 5,300 evaluations, rating 155 carriers, with 24 earning ratings sufficient to make the report.
Key decision makers were asked open-ended questions about carrier service offerings, competitiveness and customer retention. The rankings are historically based on 28 service metrics, including on-time delivery, damages, transit times, pricing and technology, as well as back-end functions like billing accuracy, claims processing, problem resolution and carrier responsiveness.
Thomasville, North Carolina-based Old Dominion (NASDAQ: ODFL) said it ranked No. 1 in 24 of the evaluated service categories, “including carrier trustworthiness, ease of doing business, timely customer service, and shipments delivered when promised.”
“This award is very important to us because it is selected by shippers,” said Marty Freeman, president and CEO of Old Dominion, in a Tuesday news release. “They count on OD to do more than just move their freight – we are an extension of their brand and true business partners.”
Two other national carriers—privately held Estes and publicly traded XPO (NYSE: XPO)—also exceeded the industry benchmark for national operators.
Richmond, Virginia-based Estes was named best value provider among national carriers for a fifth consecutive year. It also received the top ranking for competitive pricing and website usefulness. The carrier, like others, has been actively increasing its door count to enhance its service offering.
“These results offer a meaningful perspective on how shippers experience Estes — from the value they receive to the people and tools they interact with every day,” the company said in a statement. “We’re proud of this feedback and will continue to listen, improve, and find new ways to make the shipping experience even better for the people we serve.”
Greenwich, Connecticut-based XPO recorded the largest year-over-year increase in net promoter score and weighted performance score among all national carriers. The carrier’s recent quarterly earnings report validated these improvements.
Cypress, California-based Daylight Transport was also named the top inter-regional carrier in addition to top overall honors.
Repeat regional winners included: Pitt Ohio (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic), Dayton Freight Lines (Great Lakes/Midwest) and Peninsula (Western). Averitt Express was the overall winner in the Southern region.
Why it matters? Mastio’s annual survey provides a comprehensive, data-backed benchmark of carrier performance across key service metrics like on-time delivery and pricing. Additionally, it highlights market leaders and direct shipper feedback, giving companies valuable insight into the service standards and customer expectations that drive carrier selection.
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