Transport-related mergers and acquisitions are underway with gusto. Two sizable carriers bought two smaller but significant trucking companies, and a major 3PL with a familiar name indicated it is making moves that will disrupt the marketplace.
For Knight-Swift, the $1.35 billion purchase of AAA Cooper, an Alabama-based LTL firm, was a first. Knight-Swift is the largest U.S. TL carrier,
Uber Freight said the move “will create one of the leading logistics technology platforms.” The two companies said carriers will benefit from improved operating ratios and reduced empty miles. And as Uber disrupted the taxicab business, Uber Freight could likely disrupt the load-matching and 3PL business, one expert predicted. The trend isn’t just American. In Canada, major carriers are also scooping up smaller fish.
